swelling thereof. Where is Horace, where is Pindar, now? let them come here and throw their palms down before the sweet singer of Israel. There is not such a bold piece of imagery in any human composition in the world. Can any thing appear more great, more considerable than this? Imagine how it was with us some years ago, when an enthusiastic fool threatened us with a third earthquake; imagine how it was with us when God sent us the same year two dreadful earthquakes; had the earth been at that time not only shook, but removed, had the fountains of the sea been permitted to break in upon us, and carry all the mountains of England before it, what a dreadful tremor must we all unavoidably have been in ? David supposes that this may be the case, and I believe at the great day it will be something lik it: the earth, and all things therein, are to be burnt up; and, my brethren, what shall we do then if God is not our refuge, if God is not our strength?

We may apply it to civil commotions: David had lately been beset with the Philistines, and other enemies, that threatened to deprive him of his life; and there are certain times when we shall be left alone. This also, my brethren, may be applied to creature comforts: sometimes the earth seems to be removed, what then? why all the friends we take delight in, our most familiar friends, our soul-friends, friends by nature, and friends by grace, may be removed from us by the stroke of death; we know not how soon that stroke may come, it may come at an hour we thought not of; the mountains themselves, all the things that seem to surround and promise us a lasting seene of comfort, they themselves may soon be. removed out of our sight, what then shall we do?

they may be carried into the midst of the sea: what is that? our friends may be laid in the silent grave, and the places that knew them, may know them no more. It is easy talking, but it is not so easy to bear up under these things: but faith, my brethren, teaches us to say, though all friends are gone, blessed be God, God is not gone. As a noble lady's daughter told her mother, when she was weeping for the death of one of her little children, a daughter four years old said, Dear mamma, is God Almighty dead, that you cry so long after my sister? No, he is not dead, neither does he sleep. But here the imagery grows bolder, the painting stronger, and the resemblance more striking, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof; what, will not this make us fearful? will not this shake us off our bottom, our foundation, and take up the roots? No, no, even then the believer need not fear; why? God is in the midst of her. Don't you remember, God spoke to Moses out of the bush? did he stand at a distance, and call to him at a distance from the bush? No, the voice came out of the bush, Moses! Moses as Mr. Ainsworth, who was a spiritual critic, says.

Learn from hence, that in all our afflictions God is afflicted; he is in the midst of the bush; and oh! it is a sweet time with the soul when God speaks to him out of the bush, when he is under affliction, and talks to him all the while. Though it was threatened by the fire which surrounded it with immediate and total desolation: yet the bush burned and was not consumed. I do not know whether I told you, but I believe I told them at Tottenham-court, and perhaps here, that every chris

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tian has got a coat of arms, and I will give it you out of Christ's heraldry, that is the burning bush ; every christian is burned, but not consumed. But how is it the saint is held up, whence does he get his strength; or how is this strength, this supporting, comforting strength, conveyed to his heart? read a little further, you shall find David says, there is a river, mind that, there is a river the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most high; need I tell you, that probably here is an allusion to the situation of Jerusalem, and the waters of Shiloah, that flowed gently through the city of Jerusalem, which the people found sweet and refreshing in the time of its being besieged. So the rivers run through most of the cities in Holland, and bring their commodities even to the doors of the inhabitants. Pray, what do you think this river is? why, I believe it means the covenant of grace; O that is a river, the springs of which first burst out in Paradise, when God said, the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head; then God made this river visit the habitation of man, as the first opening of his everlasting co

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No sooner had the devil betrayed man, and thought he was sure to get him into the pit, even when he was laughing at man's misery, and thinking he was revenged of God for driving him out of heaven; at that very time did the great God open this river, and made it flow down in that blessed stream to mankind, implied in those words, it shall bruise thy head. O this is a stream which, I pray, may this night make glad this part of the city of God. If by the river we understand the covenant of grace, then, my brethren, the promises

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of God are the streams that flow from it. There is no promise in the bible made to an unbeliever, but to a believer; all the promises of God are his, and no one knows, but the poor believer that experiences it, how glad it makes his heart. God only speaks one single word, or applies one single promise; for if when one's heart is overwhelmed with sorrow, we find relief by unfolding ourselves to a faithful disinterested friend; if a word of comfort sometimes gives us such support from a minister of Christ, O! my friends, what support must a promise from God applied to the soul give? and this made a good woman say, I have oft had a blessed meal on the promises when I have had no bread to make a meal for my body.

But by the river we may likewise understand, the Spirit of the living God. If you remember, Jesus Christ declared at the great day of the feast, if any man believe on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; this, saith the beloved disciple, spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. My brethren, the divine influences are not only a conduit, but a deep river, a river of broad waters. Here is room for the babes to walk, and for the man of God to bathe and swim in from time to time; and supposing that the river means the Spirit of God, as I believe really it does, why then the streams that flow from this river are the means of grace, the ordinances of God, which God makes use of as channels, whereby to convey his blessed Spirit to the soul. Nay, by the river we may understand, God himself, who is the believer's river, the Threeone, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This river is in the midst of the city, not at the court-end

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of the town only, or one corner, or end, but quite through, in a variety of streams, so that high and low may come to it for supply; and not only be supported, but have their hearts made glad daily thereby; God help us to drink afresh of this river. If this be the case, well may David triumph and say, glorious things are spoken of the city of God; are spoken of her, in the feminine gender. The church is spoken of in that sense, because Eve, the first woman, was the mother of all believers; we may apply this to a single saint, as well as to a community, under trouble, she shall not be moved; not moved? pray, would you have them stupid? do you love when you strike a child to see it hardened and regardless? do you not like the child should smart under it and cry, and when it is a little penitent, you almost wish you had not struck it at all. God expects, when he strikes, that we should be moved; and there is not a greater sign in a reprobate heart of a soul given over by God, to have affliction upon affliction, and yet come out like a fool brayed in a mortar, unmoved and hardened. My brethren, this is the worst sign of a man or woman's being given over by God. Jesus was moved when he was under the rod; he cries, father! if it be possible, let this cup pass from me! he was moved so as to shed tears, tears of blood, falling to the ground. Woe, woe, woe be to us, if when God knocks at the door by some shocking domestic or foreign trial, we do not say, my God! my God! wherefore dost thou strike? When we are sick we allow physicians to feel our pulse, whether it be high or languid; and when we are sick and tried with affliction, it is time to feel our pulse, to see if we were not going into a high fever, and do not want some salu