Finally, the destruction of the universe displays the excellence of piety. O that I could represent the believer amidst fires, flames, winds, tempests, the confusion of all nature, content, peaceable, unalterable! O that I could represent the heavens passing away, the elements dissolving with fervent heat, the earth and the things which are in it burning up, and the believer, that man, that inconsiderable man, little by his nature, but great by the privileges with which piety endows him, without suspicion, rising fearless above all the catastrophes of the universe, and surviving its ruins! O that I could describe the believer, while all the tribes of the earth mourn and smile their breasts, Mat. xxiv. 30. while the wicked shall be as if they were giving up the ghost, Luke xxi. 26. while their despair exhales in these dreadful howlings, Mountains fall on us, hills cover us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the face of the Lamb! Rev. vi. 16. O that I could describe the believer assured, triumphant, founded on the rock of ages hasting unto the coming of the day of God, 2 Pet. iii. 12. as our Apostle expresseth it; aiming with transports of joy which we cannot express, ( may we one day experience these transports!) aiming to approach the presence of Jesus Christ, as his tenderest friend and deliverer, literally proving the truth of this promise, when thou passest through the waters they shall not overflow thee, when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt, Isa. xliii. 2. O that I could represent him crying, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, Rev. xxii. 20. come, receive a creature once defiled with sin; sometimes even rebellious, yet always having at the bottom of his heart principles of love to thee; but now ravished with transports of joy, because he is entering an economy, in which he shall be always submissive and always faithful. What shall I say to you, my dear brethren, to incline you to piety, if all these grand motives be without success? if the words of my text, if the voice of an Apostle,-what do I say, the voice of an Apostle? "If the sun darkened, if the moon changed into blood, if the stars fallen from Heaven, if the powers of heaven shaken, if the heavens passing away with a great noise, if the elements dissolving with fervent heat, if the earth consumed with all that is therein," if the universal destruction of nature and elements be incapable of loosening and detaching you from the present world. It is said, that some days before the destruction of Jerusalem, a voice was heard proceeding from the holy place, and crying, Let us go hence, let us go hence. My brethren, such a voice addresses you. We ground our exhortations to-day, not on the destruction of one people only; we preach (if I may be allowed to say so) in sight of the ruins of this whole universe: Yes, from the centre of the trembling world and crashing elements, a voice sounds, Let us go hence; let us quit the world; give our hopes more solid bases than enkindled worlds, which will shortly be burnt up. And then, pass away heavens with a great noise, consume elements, *Josephus de Bell. Jud. lib. vi. cap. 31. burn earth with all thy works, perish universe, perish nature, our felicity is above all such catastrophes, we cleave to the God of ages, to God who is the source of existence and duration, to God before whom "a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years." "O Lord, of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee," Psa. cii. 26, &c. God grant we may experience these great promises! To him be honour and glory. Amen. SERMON III. The Omnipresence of God. PSALM CXXXix. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me: even the night shall be light about me. Yea the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. COULD I have one wish, to answer my proposed end of preaching to-day with efficacy, Christians, it should be to shew you God in this assembly. Moses had such an advantage, no man therefore ever spoke with greater success. He gave the law to the people in God the legislator's presence. He could say, This law which I give you proceeds from God; here is his throne, there is his lightning, yonder is his thunder. Accordingly, never were a people more struck with a legislator's voice. Moses had hardly begun to speak, but at least for that moment, all hearts were united, and all Sinai echoed with one voice, crying, All that thou hast spoken we will do, Exod. xix. 8. But in vain are our sermons drawn from the sacred sources; in vain do we say to you, Thus saith the Lord: ye see only a man; ye hear only a mortal voice in this pulpit; God hath put his treasure into earthen vessels, 2 Cor. iv. 7. and our auditors estimating the treasure by the meanness of the vessel, instead of supporting the meanness of the vessel for the sake of the treasure, hear us without respect, and generally, derive no advantage from the ministry. But were God present in this assembly, could we shew you the Deity amongst you, authorizing our voice by his approbation and presence, and examining with what dispositions ye hear his word, which of you, which of you my brethren, could resist so eminent and so noble a motive? Christians, this idea is not destitute of reality: God is every where; he is in this church. Vails of flesh and blood prevent your sight of him; these must fall, and ye must open the eyes of your spirits, if ye would see a God who is a Spirit, John iv. 24. Hear our prophet; hear his magnificent description of the immensity and omnipresence of God. "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I make by bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy |