I am fpeaking; and he knows what you are thinking. "He fearches you, and knows you. He knows your down-fitting and your up-rifing, and underftands your thoughts afar off. He compaffes your path and your lying down, and is ac quainted with all your ways. There is not a word in your tongue, but lo, he knows it altogether. You cannot go from his fpirit, nor flee from his prefence. Darkness and light are both alike to him." Do you not fear this God?-You are afraid to do wickedly in the prefence of your parents. You speak and act many things, when you are out of their fight, which you do not choose they should know. But remember, you cannot hide yourselves from God. He always obferves you. He looks you through and through. How dare you ever tell a lie? He hears you, and he abhors the deceitful child. How dare you speak profanely? He knows every word you fay, and he will not hold you guiltlefs when you take his name in vain. How dare you entertain wicked thoughts? He perceives them all; and a heart that devises evil imaginations, is abomination to him.

When you are in company, and at your diverfions, think of God's prefence; thus you will be made more watchful against fin. If you are afraid at any time to be alone, think that a gracious God is with you, and put your truft in him. When he guards you, nothing can hurt you. Pray to him in fecret; he can hear you in every place, and will reward you openly.

3. You should fear God, because he is powerful. You fear your parents, because they have power to punish you, when you offend them. God has more power than they, more than all men in the world, more than all creatures in the universe.

If he created this world and all creatures in it; if he created the fun and moon, and all those wonderful bodies of light which you feein the evening; and if he moves, and preferves them all; then he is great, and of great power, and nothing is too hard for him.

You fometimes fee a little of God's power, in mighty winds, violent ftorms, and terrible lightning and thunder. But these are only "the hiding of his power." He can deftroy the world; yes, all worlds, as easily as he made them: And the fcripture tells us, he will deftroy them."The skies fhall pass away with a great noife, the elements fhall melt with fervent heat, and the earth, and the works that are therein, fhall be burnt up.' Then all good men and good children will afcend on high, to dwell forever with God, with Christ, and with holy angels: but the wicked fhall be turned into hell; they fhall go away into everlafting punishment. Dreadful thought!

Children, do you not believe, that God has spoken this, and will do as he has fpoken? How dare you, then, fin against him? Who knows the power of his anger? What a fearful thing it is, for guilty creatures to fall into his hands?

4. You should fear God because he is righteous. He not only hates fin, but will punish impeni. tent finners. He often punishes wicked men and wicked children in this world, and will punish them more terribly in the world to come.

You have heard how he once poured a flood of water upon the earth, and destroyed all its inhabitants young and old together, except eight perfons, because all but thefe had corrupted his way. You have heard, how he rained down upon Sodom a ftorm of fire and brimftone from heaven, and confumed at once all the people who lived

there, except Lot and two of his children; because their wickedness was great, and they laughed and mocked at pious Lot, who warned them to repent. You have heard, how he made the earth open its mouth, and fwallow up Korah, and a number of ungodly people, and their wicked children with them; because they murmured against him, and would not obey his commands. They all funk down alive into the pit, with fuch dreadful outcries, that the people who stood near fled away, for fear that the earth would fwallow them up too. You have heard, how a number of profane children, who mocked at a godly prophet, were torn in pieces by wild beafts-you have heard, how Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead in a moment for telling a lie-you have heard, how the fons of Aaron were confumed by fire from God, because they were profane in his house, and would not honour him, when they drew near to him.

From these things you know, that God will punish fin. If fuch is its punishment in this world, What will it be in the next? The men of Sodom, Christ tells us, muft appear at the judgment. They fuffered much in the deftruction of their city. They muft fuffer much more in the place of torments. And yet it fhall be more tolerable for them, than for thofe finners who will not hear and obey Christ speaking in his gospel.

You fhould fear God, because he is gracious and merciful.

There is forgiveness with him that he may be feared. You are therefore required to fear the Lord, and his goodnefs. Though he hates fin, and will punish obftinate finners, yet he will forgive those who repent. Have you not often feen, how ready your parents are to forgive your offen

ces, when they fee that you are forry for them? Now, as a father pities his children, fo the Lord pities them who fear him. If a parent, who is evil, will give good things to his children, how much more will God, who is merciful as no other is, give his holy spirit to them who ask him? He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but had rather that they would turn and live. He therefore commands them to repent-He calls to them, "Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die?" He fent Jefus Chrift into this world to call finners to repentance. He gave up his own fon to death in their stead, that they might live through him. Through Chrift he will freely forgive all, who, being really forry for their fins, forfake them, and pray for grace that they may, and refolve through grace that they will, walk in newness of life.

Now you fhould be afraid to fin against God, who has done fo much for you, and is fo ready to pardon and fave you.

Do you not fometimes think how kind and bountiful God is to you? How he gives you health and food and raiment? How he preferves and keeps you from day to day? Many have died younger than you and many of those who live, have not all those comfortable things which you have. And befides these earthly comforts, he has given his word to inftruct you; his fon to die for you; his spirit to work in you; and his promifes to encourage you. Though you have finned, if you repent of fin, and pray to him, he will be merciful to your unrighteoufnefs, and will remember your fins no more.

The goodness of God fhould lead you to repentance: But if you despise the riches of his goodnefs, you treasure up to yourselves wrath against the day of wrath.

VOL. V.

C

I have shewn you, why you should fear God. I will now,

SECONDLY, fhew you, how you fhould fear him. If you fear him as you ought, you will be careful to please him in every thing, and watchful not to offend him in any thing.

1. If you fear God, you will defire to know what he requires of you. You will not live carelefsly, and run along blindly, doing any thing, and every thing, whether right or wrong, juft as it happens to please your inclination; but you will prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. You will read his word as you are able. If you cannot read it well, you will learn to read it better. You will attend when you hear others read it. You will hearken to your parents when they inftruct you; and you will make enquiry, when you are in doubt, what you ought to do. You will not give all your vacant hours to sport and play but will take pains to improve in the knowledge of God and his will, that you may fear him more, and ferve him better.

2. If you fear God, you will pray to him. And you will pray often-every day, every night and morning. You will humbly afk him, not only to fupply your outward wants, and preserve you from death, but also to forgive your fins and fave your fouls. You will daily look back and confider what evil words you have spoken, finful actions you have done, and foolish thoughts you have indulged; and you will afk God's mercy to forgive what is past, and his grace to keep you in time to

come.

God loves to hear children pray to him. He has promised, that they who seek him early fhall find him. It was faid of king Jofiah, that while he was yet young he began to feek the Lord, and