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worldly Concerns. He is an omnipresent SE RM. Spirit, and can hear our Prayers at all VI. Times, and in all Places: He is an omnipotent Spirit, and can fupply all our Wants: Which Perfections fhould teach us to approach the Throne of Grace with Confidence and Affurance, that he will make good all his Promifes unto us. Let me therefore beseech you, Brethren, that ye prefent not only your Bodies, but your Souls alfo, a living Sacrifice, boly, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable Service: And be not conformed unto this World, but be transformed by the Renewing of your Minds, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect Will of God: Which that we may always do, God of his Mercy grant for Jefus Chrift his Sake.

SERMON

SERM.
VII.

SERM ON VII.

The Omniprefence of GOD.

PSALM CXxxix. 7.

Whither fhall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy
Prefence?

T

HIS Pfalm was probably com pofed by David, when he lay under Saul's Difpleasure, when the Calumnies and malicious Accufations of Doeg and other CourtParafites had fo far gained the Afcendant over Saul, that he looked upon David as one who was difaffected to his Government, one who fomented Divifions and Diffenfions amongst his Subjects, and afpired to the Crown of Ifrael.

THESE

THESE falfe Accufations and ill-ground- SERM. ed Jealoufies were far more grievous to VII. David than all the Troubles he underwent, during his Banifhment, because his Integrity was called in Question, which of all Things in the World he endeavoured to hold faft; and because he was not only flandered for being a Rebel against his Prince, but alfo accufed of being a Hypocrite towards God; fo that not only his own private Intereft, but the public Intereft of Religion fuffered, and wicked and prophane Perfons took Occafion from hence to blafpheme the Holy Name of God, For they speak against Pf.cxxxix. thee wickedly, and thine Enemies take thy 20. Name in vain.

AND therefore David, in feveral of his Pfalms, and particularly in this one hundred and thirty-ninth Pfalm profeffes his Innocence, and appeals to God, who difcerns the most hidden Thoughts and Intents of the Heart, and cites his Adversaries to appear before God's Tribunal, to answer thofe falfe and malicious Accufations, which they had made against him, and befeeches God to judge and revenge his Cause.

To vindicate himself, as much as poffible he could, from those false Imputations,

SERM, tations, he pens this Pfalm, which he deVII. livered to the Mafter of Mufic, to be a lafting Teftimony of his Sincerity, and a seasonable Admonition to all those who harbour any villainous and treasonable Defigns, to lay them afide, and to forbear putting them into Practice.

1, 2.

THE Argument he makes Ufe of, is all along taken from the Confideration of God's Omniscience and Omniprefence, that God knows all the Thoughts and Pf.cxxxix. Intents of our Heart, even thofe Thoughts which are afar off; those Thoughts which are not yet conceived in our Minds; he knows all our Words before they are uttered with the Tongue; he can tell us what we have done, and what we are about to do, and what we shall do to the End of our Lives.

ib. 5.

ib. 6.

BUT how God can do this, from whence, or from what Principles, he deduces his Knowledge, this, he confeffes, is too wonderful for him, it was too high, he could not attain unto it; but yet, he expreffes his Certainty of the Thing, and concludes, that, fince God knows all Things, that therefore he must be prefent in all Places, and that all the Endeavours of the Sinner to elude his Ven

geance are to no Purpose: Whither fhall

go from thy Spirit? Or whither fhall I flee SERM. from thy Prefence? If I afcend up into VII. Heaven, thou art there; if I make my Bed in Hell, behold, thou art there. As if he had said, I am indeed fled from the Prefence of Saul, I have efcaped those Snares which he had laid for my Life, and am fecure from his Difpleasure; my Innocence has been to me a brazen Wall, and I live fecurely under the Protection of the Almighty; but, if I had made God my Enemy, or committed any of those Sins my Adversaries charge me withal, I know there had been no Way of fleeing from his Vengeance, or escaping the Punishment of my Sins thofe Places, which conceal me from my offended Prince, are all open to God's all-feeing Eye, and full of his Divine Prefence. Whither fhall I go from thy. Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy Prefence? The Queftion implies the Negative, and denotes to us this plain and useful Truth, That God is prefent in all Places, his Being is diffufed through the whole. World, and that therefore it is impoffible to conceal ourselves from his all-feeing Eye.

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