the slightest creatures to shame the pride, and punisfr the sin of inan; as lice, frogs.

8. The dominion of God is manifested as a governor as well as a law-giver and proprietor.

1. In disposing of states and kingdoms. (Ps. lxxv. 7.) God is judge, he puts down one and sets up another. In wars, whereby flourishing kingdoms are overthrown, God hath the chief command. God is called the Lord of Hosts 130 times. It is not the sword of the captain, but the sword of the Lord, bears the first rank. The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. (Judges vii. 18.) The sword of a conqueror is the sword of the Lord. He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

2. The dominion of God is manifested in raising up and ordering the spirits of men according to his pleasure. He doth, as the Father of spirits, communicate an influence to the spirits of men as well as an existence. There are many examples of this part of his sovereignty. God by his sovereign conduct ordered Moses a protectress as soon as his parents had formed an ark of bulrushes, wherein to set him floating on the river. (Ex. ii, 3, 4, 5, 6.) Thus he appointed Cyrus to be his shepherd, and gave him a pastoral spirit for the restoration of the city and temple of Jerusalem. (Isa. xliv. 28, and xlv. 5.) Tells them in the prophecy, that he had girded him, though Cyrus had not known him.

3. The dominion of God is manifest in restraining the furious passions of men, and putting a block in their way. Sometimes God doth it by a remarkable hand, as the Babel builders were diverted from their proud designs by a sudden confusion; sometimes by ordinary, though unexpected means: as when Saul, like a hawk, was ready to prey upon David, whom he

had hunted as a partridge upon the mountains.

4. The dominion of God is manifest in defeating the purposes and devices of men. God often makes a mock of human projects. (Job v. 12.) He disap→ pointeth the devices of the crafty. The cunningest designs baffled by some small thing intervening, when you see men of profound wisdom infatuated, mistake their way, and grope in the noon day as in the night, Job v. 14.

5. The dominion of God is manifest in the means and occasions of men's conversion. Sometimes one occasion, sometimes another; one word lets a man go, another arrests him, and brings him before God and his own conscience.

6. The dominion of God is manifest in disposing of the lives of men. He keeps the key of death, as well as that of the womb, in his own hand; he hath given man a life, but not power to dispose of it, nor lay it down at his pleasure,

To conclude,

1. How great is the contempt of this sovereignty of God? Man naturally would be free from God's empire, to be a slave under the dominion of his own lust. The sovereignty of God as a law-giver is most abhorred by man. (Lev. xxvi. 41; Prov. i. 25.) Ye have set at naught all my counsel. All sin is in its nature a contempt of the Divine dominion.

2. How dreadful is the consideration of this doctrine to all rebels against God. Punishment is unavoidable. None can escape him. He hath the sole authority over hell and death, the keys of both are in his hand.

3. What matter of comfort, and strong encourage ment for prayer, My king, was the strong compel,

lation David used in prayer. (Ps. v. 2.) "Hearken to the voice of my cry." Here is comfort in afflictions. As a sovereign, he is the author of afflictions; as a scvereign, he can be the remover of them. In the severest tempest the Lord that raised the wind against us, which shattered the ship, and tore its rigging, can change that contrary wind for a more happy one, to drive us into the port. It is a comfort to the chu: ch in times of public commotions. The consideration of the Divine sovereignty may arm us against the threatenings of mighty ones, and the menaces of persecutors. Prov. xxi. 30.

THE LONG-SUFFERING OF GOD.

The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward—2 Pet. iii. 9. Ir is a shocking disposition of mind, which Solomon describes in that well-known passage in Eccl. Because sentence against an evil work is not exccuted speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

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It seems, at first sight, as if the wise man had rather exceeded in his portrait of the human heart.

God is patient towards all who offend him; then let us offend him without remorse, let us try the utmost extent of his patience. God lifteth over our heads a mighty hand, armed with lightnings and thunderbolts, but his hand is usually suspended awhile before it strikes; then, let us dare it while it delays, and till it moves to crush us to pieces, let us not respect it. What a disposition! What a shocking disposition of mind is this!

Could we have the madness to add sin to sin, if we were really convinced that God entertained the formidable design of bearing with us no longer?

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And shall we despise the riches of the long-suffering of God?" What! because a space to repent, shall we continue in impenitence?

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The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Consider,

I. The nature of this long-suffering.

1. It is part of the Divine goodness and mercy, yet differs from both. The Lord is full of compassion, slow to anger. Long-suffering differs from mercy in respect to the object; mercy respects the creature as miserable: patience, or long-suffering, respects the creature as criminal; mercy pities him in his misery; longsuffering bears with the sin, and waits to be gracious.

Patience or long-suffering differs also from goodness, in regard to the object. The object of goodness is every creature, from the highest angel in heaven to the meanest creature on earth; goodness respects things in a capacity, or in a state of creation, nurseth and supporteth them as creatures. Long-suffering considers them as already created and fallen short of their duty; goodness respects persons as creatures; long-suffering, as transgressors.

2. Since it is a part of goodness and mercy, it is not insensibility. He is slow to anger. The Lord considers every provocation, but is not hasty to discharge his arrows on the offenders; he sees the sin with an eye of abhorrence, but beholds the sinner with an eye of pity; his anger burns against the sin, whilst his arms are open to receive the sinner.

3. As long-suffering is a part of mercy and goodness, it is not constrained or faint-hearted patience. Patience or long-suffering in man, is often a feeble

ness of spirit, and want of strength. But it is not from the shortness of the Divine arm, that he cannot reach us, nor from the feebleness of his hand that he cannot strike us. He can soon level us with the dust, dash us in pieces like a potter's vessel, or consume as a moth.

4. Since it is not for want of power over the creature, it is from a fulness of the power over himself. The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power. As it is the effect of his power, so it is an argument of his power. As the more feeble any man is in reason, the less command he hath over his passions. Revenge is a sign of a childish mind. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty. The long-suffering of God toward sinners, manifests his power, more than the creation of a world.

5. As long-suffering is a branch of mercy, the exercise of it is founded on the death of Christ. It is in" Christ we find the satisfaction of justice; and it is in and through Christ the long-suffering of God is manifested to man.

2. How this long-suffering or patience is manifested. 1. To our first parents. The patience or long-suffering of God was manifested in not directing his artillery against them, when they first attempted to rebel. He might have struck them dead, when they began to kearken to the tempter. And after our first parent had brought his sin to perfection, God did not immediately send that death on him, which he had merited, but continued his life to the space of 930 years.

2. His long-suffering is manifest to the gentiles. What they were, we nced no other witness than the apostle, who sums up many of their crimes, (Rom. i, 29-32.) being filled with all unrighteousness. And