that Egypt might be an asylum to the church. For the same purpose was Daniel made ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and also Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were exalted to power and eminence under him. The influence of Esther and Mordecai, on account of their eminence, in favour of the Jews in Babylon was very striking; and proved the greatness of the divine favour to that people, even when they were under severe correction for their sin.

5. THE expression implies that no provocations of his people will induce God to cast them out of his love. Some remarks have already been made upon this part of the subject, in the preceding discourse, which renders it unnecessary to enlarge here.

THOUGH believers have experienced a happy change in the regeneration of their souls, though the Spirit of Christ dwells in them, though they have a supreme love to God, and though they delight in his law after the inner man, yet the work of grace is so far from being perfect, the new creature is so weak and meets with so much opposition, and the circumstances in which they are placed are so peculiar and trying, that they frequently displease their heavenly Father. Every believer finds, to his sorrow, a law in his members warring against the law in his mind, and þringing him into captivity to the law of sin. By this law the man according to God's own heart, was drawn into complicated guilt; by it the heart of Solomon was turned away from the Lord his God; by it Peter denied his Lord and Master, with oaths and imprecations; and from it, as the proper source, proceed all the sins of which believers are guilty. This is that lust by which, not only every sinner, but every believer, when he is tempted, is drawn away, and enticed. This principle

seconds the attacks of Satan, and often contributes to his success; it lays open the heart to the allurements of the world, and greatly obstructs the believer in the performance of holy duties. When these things are considered along with the numerous and diversified temptations to which believers are exposed, it is not at all wonderful that they fhould fall into many sins. Hence it is, that we find them often confessing their sins, magnifying their number as exceeding the hairs on their heads, or the sand on the sea-shore, confessing them, with sorrow to God and imploring pardon, and bewailing bitterly the depravity of there hearts from which these evils proceed. Hence also it is, that God so often complains of the provocations of sons and of daughters, "O my expostulates with them, and chastises them. people," said he to Israel," what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me," &c. Micah vi. 3. He complains of being pressed with their iniquities as a cart is pressed under the sheaves.

ON account of these provocations they are visited with many corrections and judgments, sometimes upon their souls, sometimes on their bodies, and upon their relations, and substance. David's sin was threatened with the awful punishment of dissipation in his children, and the continuance of the sword in his own house. He complained and expostulated often with God, when corrected by him, "That his hand was heavy upon him day and night: and his moisture turned into the drought of summer. That he was feeble and sore broken.-That the arrows of God stuck fast in him, and his hand pressed him sore-That there was no soundness in his flesh because of God's anger."-Again he prays, "Remove thy stroke away from

me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth." Job complained, "That God made him possess the iniquities of his youth-that the arrows of the Almighty were within him." Asaph, "That his sore ran in the night. That God held his eyes waking: and that his trouble was so great that he could not speak." Heman's distress was exceeding great, and made him cry, "Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?-while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off."

SUCH provocations in God's own people must be highly displeasing to him-much more displeasing than the sins of the wicked; as they are not only trasgressions of his law, but of the law written on their hearts; they are in opposition to the Holy Spirit who abides in them, and shows the things of Christ unto them; they are against the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, and all the tokens of it which they have enjoyed; and against all his warnings, admonitions and corrections. It is both evil and dangerous for any professing believer to apprehend, either that he has no sin, or that it is trivial, or little in God's ac count. Notwithstanding these provocations on their part, God still rests in his love to them. It would be exceedingly improper to allow them the same delightful sense of it while thus offending him, and not cordially mourning over their sin; therefore he suspends it, for a time. "He hides his face, and they are troubled." He has said he will correct them, make them see the impropriety of their conduct, mourn over it, and turn from it; but has assured them that

"If his

they shall never be cast out of his affection. children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." Psalm lxxxix. 30-33. It is the Messiah who is secured in the continuance of the love of God, by this promise, while the transgressing children are threatened with stripes. But this, instead of being any objection against the immutability of the divine love to them, affords them more abundant security that it shall abide. The pro mise evidently refers to the seed of Christ, the chil dren that are to be corrected; but these must be preserved to him otherwise the promise should fail: and as they are the gift of God's love to Christ, that love would be taken away from him if any of these should be lost. They are therefore corrected for their faults, in order to reform them, and render them more watchful against sin, and make them more eminently Christ's seed by higher degrees of conformity to himself. It is in this very way that God rests in his love to Christ, and accomplishes his promise to him.. "My covenant," says he, “will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me." ver. 35, 36.

As the love of God is nothing else than the infinite goodness and excellence of his own nature embracing the salvation and happiness of the miserable sinner, and has no manner of dependance on the object, no provocations of believers can affect it. These were all

foreseen, and provision made, in the divine love, for pardoning them. If these could cast them out of this love when they commit them, they would, when foreseen, have prevented it from fixing upon them, as its chosen objects. But as nothing but sin stood in the way of their happiness, it was one of the great designs of this love to remove it. Hence, in God's procedure towards his sinning people, instead of casting off, he pardons and purifies. Speaking of the humble and contrite ones, with whom he delights to dwell, he says, "For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart." Isa. lvii. 17. Here was provocation sufficient to induce God to reject him, which he doubtless would have done, did he not rest in his love. How astonishing, after such conduct, is the following declaration, "I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him, and to his mourners." ver. 18. In another case God expostulates with his people about the robberies which they had committed upon him, while he had conferred his favours. His service had become very irksome to them, though he had not oppressed them with any unreasonable work; they also perverted his ordinances to base purposes, even to the gratification of their lusts. "Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings, neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices: I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices; but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities." Isai. xliii. 23, 24. After this we might have expected him to