these are tried by the buffetings of Satan? Why deprived of the light of God's countenance? Why the state of the beft is imperfect while they live here? Why they must go hence by dying? How all the promifes are fulfilled in providence And what they have thought to be against them, does nevertheless work for their everlasting good?

APPLICATION.

(1.) How aftonishing is it, that God should have a temple with men!

(2.) How kind was the undertaking of Christ to open a way to this?

(3). How much to be lamented is it, that fo few thould defire to dwell in his houfe? That it is fo, is too evident, and it ought to be matter of lamentation.

(4.) How great and raised a change is there, when this is defired above all things?

Do

(5.) How seriously should we examine ourfelves as to this? Enquire how it is with Is this the one thing that you defire, you. and are you refolved to feek after it? the words of the text exprefs the prevailing temper of your minds; minds; fo that fo that you can truly fay, One thing have we desired of the Lord, &c. If this expreffes the stated workings of our minds with respect to God, and communion with him, here, and in heaven; his fanctifying fpirit has been at work upon us, and we might fay with the Pfalmift, Pfal. xxiii. 6. Surely goodness and mercy fhall follow me all the rest of my days; and 1 fhall dwell in the houfe of the Lord for ever.

SER M.

[75]

SERMON VI.

The Believer's Hope in God, and waiting for his Salvation.

LA M. III. 24, 25, 26.

The Lord is my portion, faith my foul, therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the foul that feeketh him. is good that a man fhould both hope, and quietly wait for the Salvation of

the Lord.

TH

It

HE prophet, in the midst of a folemn lamentation, here points to the ground of his fupport; and bears his teftimony for God as to his goodness in dealing with his people now, and the falvation he defigns for them hereafter. In the words taken together, we have,

1. The prophet's folemn claim of a special intereft in God. The Lord is my portion, faith my foul.

Whatever

Whatever others run to, or expect relief from, believers have recourfe to God, the great and glorious JEHOVAH, as their portion. The Lord is my portion, my lot and heritage, my happiness and reft; that which I defire, and chufe, love and live upon, am pleased with, and would for ever enjoy, as men do their portion. "There

be many that fay, who will thew us any good," but any good will not ferve my turn: That which refpects only the body, or outward man, I can't take up with In oppofition to this, the Lord is my portion. I have not only good from him, but himself who is before, and infinitely better than all, to be mine.

The Lord is my portion. How mean and afflicted foever I am, be my cafe what it will, upon earth, I can look with comfort to heaven. How many foever have an intereft in him, he is fufficient for all; as much to me as if there were none else. The Lord is my portion, one that I have chofen to be fo, and would never change; and what my tongue utters, as to this, is the fenfe of my heart; The Lord is my portion, faith my foul.

2. His refolution hereupon: Therefore will I hope in him: Expect from him whatever he hath promifed, and the ftate of my cafe calls for: fupport under trouble, and deliverance out of it in his own time and way: fupply of my wants, release from my fears, taking off my burdens, anfwering of my prayers: in a word, whatever is included in, and may be inferred from the character in which he is willing to be known to his people, namely, as their portion.

3. The companions of this hope, viz. waiting and feeking, with the encouragement to both, namely, the goodness of God, in himself, and to his people, who are thus found in the way of their duty. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the foul that feeketh him.

4. The advantage of hoping and waiting for God's falvation, This will redound to God's glo ry, and our own comfort and joy: and how long foever we are put to wait, the falvation waited for will come at laft, and has enough in it to make amends for all. It is good that a man should both hope, and quietly wait for the falvation of the Lord.

Suitable to these we may obferve:

I. God is the portion of every one of his people.

II. The foul, that has the Lord for his por tion, has abundant encouragement to hope in

bim.

III. Prayer and patience, are to be the companions of hope in the people of God, to both which they have a powerful motive in his goodness.

IV. No fervant of God fhall be a lofer by him; but every one of them be led to own at last, that it is good to hope, and quietly wait, for his falvation.

I. God is the portion of every one of his people. Under this, three things deferve to be confidered, viz.

be faid of God as the portion of

2. That

2. That every one of these has à fpecial intereft in him as his.

3. How he comes to be fo?

1. What may be faid of God as the portion of bis people?

He is (1.) a moft fuitable portion to them. (2.) An all-fufficient portion. Thus he speaks of himself to Abraham, I am God Almighty, or all-fufficient. He wants nothing to his own hap pinefs; and as to his people, is faid to be able to do for them exceeding abundantly, above what they can afk or think, Eph. iii. 20.

(3.) An infinite Portion.

(4.) As the portion of his people, He is most fafe and secure to them.

(5.) He is an eternal, durable portion: And, (6.) Laftly, As the refult of all this, he is a fatisfying portion: What we can never be weary of, or defire to change. But these particulars are but just mentioned here, as being spoken to a little in a foregoing Sermon.

2. Every one of God's people has a special interest in him as his.

The prophet may be here confidered as claiming this for himself; or fpeaking in the name of the church, and every fincere member of it: The Lord is my portion. David ufes the fame language, Pfalm xvi. 5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. In which he alludes both to the diftribution of the land of Canaan among the Ifraelites (where every one had his part or portion, affigned him for his inheritance) and to the custom at feasts of setting every one's allowance of meat by his cup, here called

the