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How they should quit themselves like men, and maintain their ground against the craft of feducers, and the furious attacks of perfecuting zeal;-how they fhould adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour, and " cut off "occafion from those who defired occafion “ to blaspheme that worthy name by which "they were called;"above all, how they fhould recommend religion to the esteem and choice of their enemies, and become the inftruments of faving from eternal death, those who thirfted for their own blood, and treated them like the filth and offscouring of all things. Such, we may fuppofe, would be the principal cares of perfecuted faints: and all these they are exhorted to caft upon God: For, adds the Apostle, God careth for you.

This is the argument which I fhall now endeavour to illuftrate,

1. By laying before you the evidence of its truth; and,

2. By fhowing its propriety and strength for engaging us to caft our care upon God.

I. WHEN we confider the character of the perfons to whom this exhortation was originally

ginally addreffed, it will readily occur to us, that the Apostle means fomething more by the care of God, than that general Providence which extends to all the creatures he hath made. The care he speaks of, is that peculiar and affectionate regard to the faints which he had before defcribed, chap. iii. 12. "The eyes of the Lord are "over the righteous, and his ears are open.

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unto their prayers: but the face of the "Lord is against them that do evil."-Thus it is written, that " he withdraweth "not his eye from the righteous."-"The "Lord is God," faith the Prophet Nahum, "a ftrong hold in the day of trouble, and "he knoweth them that truft in him." Many other paffages might be quoted which affert, in the most explicit terms, that God careth for his faints in another manner than he doth for the reft of the world.-—But that you may have a more extenfive and encouraging view of the evidence of this truth, confider

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How intimately the faints are related to God. Behold," faith the Apostle John in name of all the faithful," behold, what

manner

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manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the fons "of God." Nor is this a mere title of honour: the perfons on whom it is conferred are invefted with a full and unalterable right to all thofe privileges which the title imports; for, as St Paul reafons, "If chil"dren, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint "heirs with Chrift." And can it be fuppofed, that the Father of mercies will abandon his own offspring? Do earthly parents care for their children? and can he who hath implanted that difpofition in their nature, be unconcerned about those whom he hath adopted into his family, and regenerated by his Spirit? Is it poffible that the ftreams fhould have more fweetness than the fountain whence they flow? No, furely. "If

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men, being evil, know how to give good gifts to their children, much more will "the Father of mercies give good things un"to them that afk him." And is not this a folid ground of confidence and hope? Every believer in Christ may expect all from God, and infinitely more, than any child can expect from the most affectionate and

tender

But

tender-hearted 'parent upon earth.

this is not all; for

Our Father in heaven hath in a manner laid open his heart to us, and told us plainly what we may lawfully ask and hope to obtain. He hath published his good-will in a variety of great and precious promises; promises that extend to all the neceffities of his children; infomuch that, be their condition what it will, they may find fome gracious declaration of what God hath purpofed to do; which fuits their cafe with as much precifion and exactnefs, as if their particular diftrefs had been the immediate occafion of it. Or if any calamity should present itself to their imagination, against which no effectual provifion appears to have been made, there is one promise upon record, to which the believing foul may at all times retreat, Rom. viii. 28. "We know "that all things work together for good, to "them that love God, to them who are the "called according to his purpose." These are the words of him who is unchangeable, "the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever, "without any variablenefs or fhadow of "turning."

"turning." Hear what he faith, I. xlix. 15. "Can a woman forget her fucking "child, that fhe fhould not have compaf"fion on the fon of her womb? yea, they

may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” And that we may have fuller affurance of this, we are told by the Prophet Malachi, "that a book of remembrance is written "before God, for them that fear the. Lord, "and that think upon his name." Nay, the Scriptures inform us, that there is One in heaven, infinitely dear to the Father, who is not only a faithful Remembrancer, but a powerful Advocate, and unwearied Interceffor, in behalf of all "who come to God by "him."

And this may be confidered as an additional ground of affurance, that believers are the objects of God's peculiar care. " We "have a great High-Prieft, who is paffed "into the heavens, Jefus the Son of God, "who conftantly appears in the presence of "God for us." ." Thus John beheld him in vifion," ftanding in the midst of the "throne, as a Lamb that had been flain," difplaying thofe wounds which he received,

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