bounds, as he sees good; and the day is coming, when all his works will praise him. Neither is this here intended: it is necessary, and belongs to God, as God, and cannot be promised to any; it is a branch of God's natural dominion, that every creature be ruled and disposed of, agreeably to its nature, unto the end whereunto it is appointed.

(2.) Special; attended with peculiar love, favour, goodwill, special care towards them with whom he is so present. So Abimelech observed that he was with Abraham, Gen. xxi. 22. God is with thee in all that thou doest:' with thee to guide thee, bless thee, preserve thee, as we shall see afterward. So he promised to be with Joshua, chap. i. 5. And so he was with Gideon, Judges vi. 12. to bless him in his great undertaking. And so with Jeremiah, chap, xv. 20. This is fully expressed, Isa. xliii. 1, 2. 'I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the water, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they, shall not overflow thee.?

And this is the presence of God here intimated : his presence with the people, as to special providential dispensations, as is manifest from the whole discourse of the prophet; and wherein this consists, shall be afterward at large declared.

Secondly, What is a people's abiding with God?

There is a twofold abiding with God:

1. In personal obedience, according to the tenour of the covenant. This is not here intended, but supposed. There is no abiding in any thing with God, where there is not an abiding in this thing: yet this, as I said, is not here principally intended, but supposed; something farther is intended for as hath been declared, it is national work, and national abiding, that is intended. So that,

2. There is an abiding with God in national administrations: this is a fruit of the other, in those who are called to them. And that this is principally here intended, is evident from that use that Asa made of this information and exhortation of the prophet. He did not only look to his personal walking thereupon; but also immediately set upon the work of ordering the whole affairs of the kingdom, so as God might be glorified thereby. How this may be effected shall at large afterward be declared: what hath already been

spoken may suffice for a foundation of that proposition, which I shall this day insist upon and it is this:

Observation. The presence of God with a people, in special providential dispensations for their good, depends on their obediential presence with him, in national administrations to his glory.

For the explication of this proposition some few things are to be premised.

1. The presence of God with his people as to special grace in the covenant, and his presence with them as to special assistance in providence, proceed on very different

accounts.

(1.) They have a very different rise. The foundation, and principal law of special grace, dispensed in the covenant is this; that some sinned, and another was punished. So it is laid down expressly, Isa. liii. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.' 2 Cor. v. 21. He was made sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.' Gal. iii. 13, 14. A curse for us, that the blessing of faithful Abraham might come on them that believe; 1 Pet. ii. 24. This is the great and sovereign principle of the covenant of grace, that a commutation should be made of persons, as to punishments and rewards; that sinners should be provided of a substitute, one that should undergo the punishment due to them, that they might go free; and procure a reward for them who could procure none for themselves.

Now the supreme and sovereign law of providential dispensations is utterly diverse, and alien from this of the covenant of grace. This you have asserted, Ezek. xviii. 20. 'The soul that sinneth it shall die: one shall not bear the iniquity of another: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.' Take this for a law of universal right and indispensable, extend it to the covenant of grace, and it is absolutely exclusive of the substitution and satisfaction of Christ. But it is the ground, rule, and law of providential dispensations, that God is there treating about; and vindicating his dealing with any people as to his presence with them, and acting towards them therein, which is diverse, as

you see, from the foundation of the covenant before mentioned.

(2.) As the foundations are diverse, so is the rule of their continuance. What is the rule and measure of God's continuance with his people in the covenant of grace? Plainly this: that he will never forsake them; and on that account will take care that they shall never forsake him, but abide with him for ever. It is not whilst they do so and so, he will abide with them, and when they cease so to do, he will forsake them, as to his federal and covenant presence: there is not such a sandy foundation left us, of our abiding with God in Christ. See the tenour of the covenant, Jer. xxxi. 33. xxxii. 38-40. The sum is, that God will be with them, and take care that they always abide with him; and therefore hath he provided for all interveniences imaginable, that nothing shall violate this union. God lays his unchangeableness as the foundation of the covenant, Mal. iii. 6. and he therein makes us unchangeable; not absolutely so, for we change every moment; but with respect to the terms and bounds of the covenant, he hath undertaken, that we shall never leave him. The law of God's presence in respect of providential dispensations, and all special privileges attending it, is quite of another importance: it is purely conditional, as you may see in my text. The tenour of it is expressed to the height, 1 Sam. ii. 30. I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, that be far from me; for them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.' Here is no alteration of counsel or purpose in God; but merely an explanation of the rule, law, and tenour of providential dispensations; no interpretation of the covenant of grace. Eli held not the priesthood by that covenant, but an explication of the tenour of a privilege given in special providence, Psal. lxxxix. 32, 33. Hence is that variety of God's dealings with men, mentioned in the Scripture, which yet are always righteous, according to one or other of these rules and laws. Isa. xliii. 23, 24. says God of his people, Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt-offerings, neither hast thou honoured me with thy

sins.'

sacrifices. 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 thy iniquities.' What then shall be done with this people? depart from them, destroy them, let them die? No, ver. 25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy So also chap. lvii. 17. For the iniquity of his coveteousness I was wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.' Surely now God will utterly consume them, root and branch, as persons incorrigible, and irrecoverable. No, the case is quite otherwise, ver. 18, 19. 'I have seen his way, and will heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comfort to him:' I will pity him, pardon him, save, sanctify him, and fill him with consolation. Go now to Ezekiel, chap. xxxiii. 18. When the righteous turns from his righteousness,' what then? God will heal him and restore comforts unto him, as it was in the places before mentioned. No, no: he shall die, he shall be cut off. What is the reason of this di-, versity? Why, in the first place, God speaks of his dealings. unto their souls as to his covenant of grace, and all the mercies of it; in this last, as to his dealings with their persons, and their outward concernments, in the dispensations of his providence. And the not heeding hereof hath made some pronounce inconsiderately, the covenant of grace to be merely conditional, because they find many mercies and privileges spoken of under such a notion; not considering that all those proposals belong to the law of outward provi-. dence, and not to the nature of the covenant of promise, established in the blood of Christ. And unless this be allowed, nothing can be more contrary to my text, than that promise, and such as that which we have Isa. liv. 9. where provision is made for God's abiding with his people, notwithstanding all their backslidings and provocations; which he will so far heal, as that he may not forsake them. And this is first to be observed, that we do not in the consideration of God's presence and withdrawings, as to providential dispensations, cast any reflection on the stability and unchangeableness of the covenant of grace. David hath fully stated this business; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. saith he, Although my house be not so

with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting cove nant, ordered in all things and sure; for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow." David had a promise for the prosperity of his house; he had also an engagement of the sure mercies of the covenant: the different tenour of these engagements, as to their success and establishment, he gives us this account of: The covenant is absolute and unchangeable, that is, ordered in all things and sure; the prosperity of his house depends on another law and rule, that is subject to alteration.

2. Observe the nature of this dependance of God's presence on our abiding with him. It doth not depend upon it, as the effect upon its proper cause, as though it were procured by it, merited by it; we enjoy not the least morsel of bread on any such account, much less such eminent privileges as attend God's special providential presence. We deserve nothing at the hand of God; and therefore if he should take us in the midst of the choicest obedience, and fill us with the fiercest of miseries, he did us no wrong; and therefore the Lord does so deal sometimes with his; and that not only with particular persons, as in the case of Job, but also with his people in general, as Psal. xliv. 17-19. All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.' Though he requires our duty at our hands, yet he is not. tied to any such present reward. This is all: it ordinarily depends upon it as a consequent upon an antecedent, which allows an interposition of grace and mercy, as Nehemiah ix. 16. Nevertheless thou being merciful forsookest them not.' So elsewhere that good man prays, 'Remember me for good, and spare me according to the multitude of thy mercies. For the glory of his righteousness, and of his ways in the world, God hath ordered, that his people shall walk with him, when he abides eminently and conspicuously in a special manner with them.

3. Observe, that our abiding with God, even in national administrations, is the proper effect of his presence with us in covenant dispensations; so that all in the issue is of mere