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SERMON I.

The Fear of God.

MY CHILDREN,

DAVID, in the thirty-fourth Psalm, and the eleventh verse, speaks to you in these words:

"Come, ye children, hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord."

DAVID

AVID was appointed, when he was young, to be king over Ifrael, God chofe him, in preference to his brethren, not because he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look upon; but because he was of a pious difpofition-a young man after God's own heart. "For the Lord feeth not as man feeth; man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” This godly king defired, that all his people should fear God; for, then, he knew that God would make them profperous and happy. He defired, that children, as well as others, fhould learn to fear God; for they were a part of his people; and if they feared God when they were young, he hoped they would ferve him when they were old; and would also teach their children to ferve him ; and thus the people would be virtuous and happy from generation to generation.

He calls upon children to hearken to him. VOL. V.

B

You, who are children, need inftruction. Knowledge is not born with you. You have not had time to learn much by ftudy and experience. What you obtain in your childhood, muft come chiefly by information from others.

You have need of knowledge, for you have fouls to be faved, as well as they who are older. And the religion by which you are faved must be gin with knowledge.

If you would understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God, you must incline your hearts to understanding-You must hear inftruction and not refuse it.

You must hearken to your parents. God has commanded them to train you up in the way in which you should go-to teach you knowledge and make you understand doctrine-to give you line upon line, and precept upon precept. It is their duty to point out to you the narrow way which leads to life, and to caution you against, and restrain you from, the broad path of fin and death. God will punish them, if they neglect to inftruct and warn you. They know what is ufeful, and what is hurtful to you-they are concerned for your happiness. This is the reason why they so often speak to you about God and heaven, about fin and hell; and why they fometimes deny you the things which you defire.

You must hearken to them-not only hear, but remember what they fay, and obey them in the Lord, for this is right. When you are abfent from them, you should think, what they have told you; not to lie, or fwear, or quarrel, or spend your time foolishly; and you fhould behave as if you were within their reach, and under their eye.

You must hearken to ministers. Jefus Christ, who died for our fins, as foon as he rofe from the

dead, met with Peter, one of his apoftles and ministers; and almoft the first thing he said to him was, "Peter, if you love me, feed my lambs ;" i. e. teach my little children. Chrift calls you his lambs to fignify that you fhould, like them, be innocent and harmless. He commands his ministers to teach you, that you should be holy and without blame before him in love. If minifters are to teach you, then you must hearken to them. When you, on the Lord's day, go to his house, remember that he is there. He has faid, that where his difciples meet together, he is in the midft of them. John beheld Jefus, on this holy day, walking in the churches. And He has eyes like a flame of fire. He fees every thing that is done or even thought. Go then, take your place decentlyftay in it quietly-watch your thoughts carefully -hear God's word diligently-endeavour to understand what you hear, and to remember it, that you may repeat it when you go home, and practife it every day.

Confider now, what the good king of Ifrael promised to teach children. He fays "I will teach you the fear of the Lord."

"To fear God, and keep his commandments, is the whole duty of man.'

وو

1. You must know, that there is a God; a great, wife and good Being, who created you at firft, preferves you ftill, and fupplies your wants continually. You cannot fear and ferve him, until you know him.

You have often been taught, and I fuppofe you believe, that there is a God. You cannot fee him, for he is a fpirit-No man hath seen him at any time. He is invifible. But his works you may fee, wherever you go, and wherever you look : hence you know that there is a God.

If you fhould go into the wilderness, and there should find a house neatly built and finished off; but fhould find no perfon near it; what would you think? Would you fuppofe the house grew there, juft as the trees grow? No; you would know fomebody had been there to build it, as certainly as if you had feen it done. "Every house is builded by fome man: And he that built all things is God." You know that this world, and the things which are in it, did not make themfelves; and therefore you certainly know, there is fome unfeen Being who made them; and this Being is great, and wife and good.

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2. If there is a God, you ought to fear him, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be feared, and to be had in reverence of all that are about him.' If you would know what it is to fear God, confider what it is to fear your parents. You understand what the word means, when it is applied to them. Its meaning is much the fame, when it is applied to God. To fear your parents is to esteem and honour them, to please and obey them, to speak well of them, and behave decently to them. The fame tempers and difpofitions are implied in fearing God. You must remember, however, that as God is infinitely greater, and wiser, and better, than the best earthly parents; fo you muft regard

him more than them.

I will here teach you why you must fear God; and how you must fear him.

FIRST I will fhew you, why you must fear God.

1. You must fear him, because he is a haly Be ing.

"He is of purer eyes than to behold evil; he cannot look on iniquity." "He cannot be tempted of evil; neither tempteth he any man."

man." The

angels are often in fcripture called holy; and good men are fometimes honoured with the title of faints, or holy perfons. But the holiness of God fo much exceeds the holiness of the moft perfect creature, that it is faid, "He only is holy." "He charges his angels with folly." "The heavens are not clean in his fight." "He humbleth himself to behold the things which are in heaven." The glorious train of angels in God's temple above, cover their faces before him, and cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hofts; the whole earth is full of his glory."

When Mofes, in the wilderness, faw a bush on fire, and not confumed, he knew that this denoted the special prefence of God; and therefore it is faid, "He hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God."

When the prophet Elijah heard the ftill voice of God," he wrapt his face in a mantle." He had before felt a ftrong wind, and a violent earthquake, which rent the mountains and brake in pieces the rocks; and he felt them without any terrour upon his mind. But when he heard a voice from the holy God, though it was ftill and fmall, yet it feemed folemn and awful; and he covered his face, because he was afraid of God's prefence.

Now if fuch holy men, and holier angels fear God, how much fhould you fear him? He knows and hates every finful thought, wicked word, and vile action. How dare you, then, do, or fpeak, or think, any thing which you know to be wrong? 2. You should fear God, because he is always prefent with you.

God is fometimes faid to be in heaven, because he there makes fome fpecial difplays of his glorious perfections; but really he is every where. He is on earth: He is in this place: he hears what

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