You may say, It is the promise. He may be an uncommonly thoughtful person, and little of what is done within his soul may escape his notice; nay, we will make the extreme supposition that he arrests every thought as it rises, and looks at it; that he analyzes every sentiment as it swells his heart; that he scrutinizes every purpose as it determines his will; even if he should have such a thorough and profound self-knowledge as this, God knows him equally profoundly and equally thoroughly. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. Those who are always hearing pure and high principles set forth as the guides of life learn to value and to know them even faster than they can learn to live by them. said Collins, the infidel, to a poor but pious man. And this will generally be just when we are tempted to do wrong, or perhaps just when we are actually beginning to do it: some secret sin of which no one knows or dreams perhaps, some self-indulgence, which we dare not deny that God condemns. There is no reason to mourn a son as lost who is a religious, still less to fear for his delicacy of constitution. If we had such a window we should pray for shutters, and should keep them closed.God omniscientWeekly Pulpit. 1. S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius John Edgar McFadyenIntroduction to the Old TestamentLinksPsalm 138:8 NIVPsalm 138:8 NLTPsalm 138:8 ESVPsalm 138:8 NASBPsalm 138:8 KJVPsalm 138:8 Bible AppsPsalm 138:8 ParallelPsalm 138:8 Biblia ParalelaPsalm 138:8 Chinese BiblePsalm 138:8 French BiblePsalm 138:8 German BiblePsalm 138:8 CommentariesBible Hub, (4)In the dark as well as the light.3. Take heed unto me and hear me; how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed.--Psalm iv. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. How many are the Scriptures which bid us, by direct precept or by actual example, to fear lest we should come short of eternal life! OURSELVES. Take heed unto me and hear me; how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed.--Psalm iv. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. Christmas. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." How shall we learn to walk by His side? Hence Paul Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatSense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. (Admonition 23.) But yet there is another, not less powerful than any, which deserves special mention. In the day when I cried Charles KingsleyOut of the DeepWherefore a Few Witnesses, which the Lord Deigns to Suggest to My Mind32. God often perfects that which truly concerns us by taking us away from that which never ought to concern us. (4)In the dark as well as the light.3. David praises God for the truth of his word4. 19 III. "Thou hast made me: I reverently challenge Thee to complete Thy work." For if God's exhaustive knowledge of the human heart waken dread in one of its aspects, it starts infinite hope in another. 2. The self-knowledge, remember, must come in the one way or the other. Gregory to Dominicus, Bishop of Carthage [1454] . S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in our forgetting that we are in the presence of God any more than there is anything foolish in our forgetting that we need air to breathe or light to see by, or that if we fall we may hurt ourselves: just in the same way as we very often, and quite rightly, forget that we are in the company of men who will take notice of our faults. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? How shall we learn to walk by His side? He does it because it is the good pleasure of His will to do it. He learnt his theology, as we shall see, from Eastern authorities, and was not content to carry on and develop the traditional teaching of the West; and the disciple St. the regular habit of reading the Bible at a fixed time, the occasional reminders of ourselves that God is looking on, these are our chief means of learning to remember His presence. Does the Contemplative Life consist solely in the Contemplation of God, or in the Consideration, To Dominicus, Bishop. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. 231 and 1506: "Faith in Perfection", and, "Choice Comfort for a Young Believer." Verse 8. NOTE THE ROCK ON WHICH HE RESTS. AugustineOn the Good of MarriagePrayer Out of the Deep. 2. Hoyt, D. D.)God's knowledge of manW. This is living with God. The simple question, then, which meets us is, Wilt thou know thyself here, and now, that thou mayest accept and feel God's pity; or wilt thou keep within the screen, and not know thyself until beyond the grave, and then feel God's judicial wrath? And so, if we do not die shouting victory, we hope that we shall peacefully fall asleep, "for His mercy endureth for ever." 19 III. 1, 2. "I dwell with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the heart of the contrite ones."--ISA. "He is so great that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, and so little that He can dwell in my heart.". God has made us so. Jesus knows the difficulties of life today. [2105] And these without all controversy we take to be humble. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. He professes his confidence in GodDictionary of Bible ThemesPsalm 138:86708predestination8125guidance, promise8441goalsPsalm 138:7-81265hand of GodLibraryFaith in PerfectionIn the opening, I must remark that this is not the heritage of all mankind. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. the fear of man, as in the case of the Patriarch, may not bring a snare. 7 ad 3m II. The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. lvii. We do not agree with Momus, neither are we of his mind who desired to have a window in his breast that all men might see his heart. 19-24). )PeopleDavid, PsalmistPlacesJerusalemTopicsAbandon, Accomplish, Age, Chief, Complete, Concerneth, Concerns, David, Endures, Endureth, Eternal, Everlasting, Fall, Forever, Forsake, Fulfil, Fulfill, Hands, Kindness, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Mercy, Musician, O, Perfect, Psalm, Purpose, Steadfast, WorksOutline1. (2)There is the error that imagines that death will make some fundamental alteration in their relation to God.2. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. A Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." We must understand that everything in life has a spiritual ear. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. Those who live much in refined and educated society acquire refinement insensibly. Hoyt, D. D.: This psalm sings of I. 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?' Rejoice, ye saints of God, that you have a great High Priest who is passed into the heavens, who now appears in the presence of God for you. 18, 19. He may be an uncommonly thoughtful person, and little of what is done within his soul may escape his notice; nay, we will make the extreme supposition that he arrests every thought as it rises, and looks at it; that he analyzes every sentiment as it swells his heart; that he scrutinizes every purpose as it determines his will; even if he should have such a thorough and profound self-knowledge as this, God knows him equally profoundly and equally thoroughly. And this will generally be just when we are tempted to do wrong, or perhaps just when we are actually beginning to do it: some secret sin of which no one knows or dreams perhaps, some self-indulgence, which we dare not deny that God condemns. He learnt his theology, as we shall see, from Eastern authorities, and was not content to carry on and develop the traditional teaching of the West; and the disciple St. cxxxviii. How those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. But, and if the religion you have received is the work of God, then be certain that He who began the work will perfect it. But while all held their peace, the Son [441] said, AthanasiusSelect Works and Letters or AthanasiusCovenant Duties. Hence Paul Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatSense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. Said Milton, speaking of his travels abroad when a young man: "I again take God to witness that in all places where so many things are considered lawful, I lived sound and untouched from all profligacy and vice, having this thought perpetually with me, that though I might escape the eyes of men, I certainly could not the eyes of God."4. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." AugustineOn the Good of Marriage, Prayer Out of the Deep. He professes his confidence in GodDictionary of Bible ThemesPsalm 138:86708predestination8125guidance, promise8441goalsPsalm 138:7-81265hand of GodLibraryFaith in PerfectionIn the opening, I must remark that this is not the heritage of all mankind. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. Letter Xliii a Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. This is the communion with Him, and with Christ, which unquestionably helps the struggling, the penitent, the praying, more than anything else. Put your hope in God. S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. It leads to prayer. We cannot live long with men without catching something of their manner, of their mode of thought, of their character, of their government of themselves. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. 13-16).4. The Lord is nigh unto them that call upon Him; He also will hear their cry, and will help them.--Psalm cxlv. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. God has made us so. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. sighs one troubled heart, "I fear I shall fall into many sins between here and heaven." The mercy of the creature was of yesterday; the mercy of Jehovah is from everlasting. For he who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exhibit the highest things. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? 1, 2. Differently to be admonished are those that are at variance and those that are at peace. S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. That of adoring and constantly thoughtful reverence (vers. This was basically what David was doing when he declared The Lord will perfect that which concerns me., Scriptures: 19 III. able characteristics of a rational being is the power of self-inspection. (Isa. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. And how it would bless us! We have received with the utmost gratification the letters of your Fraternity, which have reached us somewhat late by the hands of Donatus and Quodvultdeus, our most reverend brethren and fellow-bishops, and also Victor the deacon with Agilegius the notary. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. 6. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. To reveal the supreme interest of human life. lxxxv. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius John Edgar McFadyenIntroduction to the Old TestamentLinksPsalm 138:8 NIVPsalm 138:8 NLTPsalm 138:8 ESVPsalm 138:8 NASBPsalm 138:8 KJVPsalm 138:8 Bible AppsPsalm 138:8 ParallelPsalm 138:8 Biblia ParalelaPsalm 138:8 Chinese BiblePsalm 138:8 French BiblePsalm 138:8 German BiblePsalm 138:8 CommentariesBible Hub, (2)His knowledge of us is entire, complete.2. But if that knowledge whereby man knows himself is mysterious, then certainly that whereby God knows him is far more so. We cannot get away from God's presence. 19-22).3. 7 ad 3m II. There are many things which concern me; but what they are I leave to the Lord to determine; for I often find, as many others have told me is true of them likewise, that I much concern myself about things which, after all, do not really concern me, and about which, therefore, I need not trouble. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. A Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. The worst has been seen, and that too by the holiest of beings, and yet eternal glory is offered to us! And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? 8). v. 22). v. 14), the earth was cursed, Hades was opened, Paradise shut, Heaven offended, man, lastly, corrupted and brutalised (cf. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in our forgetting that we are in the presence of God any more than there is anything foolish in our forgetting that we need air to breathe or light to see by, or that if we fall we may hurt ourselves: just in the same way as we very often, and quite rightly, forget that we are in the company of men who will take notice of our faults. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times." Psalm 34:15 Verse Concepts The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry. lvii. You have a plan on hand. 17, 18).2. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." 1. It is perfectly plain from the elevated central point of view where we now stand, and in the focal light in which we now see, that no man can be justified before God upon the ground of personal character; for that character, when subjected to God's exhaustive scrutiny, withers and shrinks away. He may be an uncommonly thoughtful person, and little of what is done within his soul may escape his notice; nay, we will make the extreme supposition that he arrests every thought as it rises, and looks at it; that he analyzes every sentiment as it swells his heart; that he scrutinizes every purpose as it determines his will; even if he should have such a thorough and profound self-knowledge as this, God knows him equally profoundly and equally thoroughly. AugustineOn the Good of MarriagePrayer Out of the Deep. His omnipotence (vers. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. The simple question, then, which meets us is, Wilt thou know thyself here, and now, that thou mayest accept and feel God's pity; or wilt thou keep within the screen, and not know thyself until beyond the grave, and then feel God's judicial wrath? But while all held their peace, the Son [441] said, AthanasiusSelect Works and Letters or AthanasiusCovenant Duties. Many times in the Psalms we see David speaking to himself, like in Psalm 43:5 where he says to himself why are you downcast O my soul? Then we notice that he looks sad for a while, as if he cannot deny what has been urged; but presently he looks up, and his eyes are turned not to us, but lifted heavenward; and we hear him say, "Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever;" and he adds the prayer, "Forsake not the work," etc. (Admonition 23.) Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? Before the Searcher of hearts all mankind must appeal to mere and sovereign mercy. : While the Americans were blockading Cuba, several captains endeavoured to elude their vigilance by night, trusting that the darkness would conceal them as they passed between the American war-ships. v. 22). CONTINUALLY I am clearing the ground and laying the foundation of eternal salvation in the Grace of God which was manifested in Christ Jesus when He came into the world to save sinners. Our hearts will put us in mind of God's eye being upon us every now and then involuntarily. His discourse, the first which He delivered to His disciples at greater length, began from this. III. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? That of a prayerful seeking of the Divine guidance (ver. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. For that voice more readily penetrates the hearer's heart, which the speaker's life Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatHow those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished. "(Archbishop Temple. This is a plea that every reconciled soul may urge. He then that has no care to keep peace refuses to bear the fruit of the Spirit. 17, 18).2. Hilary of PoitiersThe Life and Writings of St. Hilary of PoitiersPsalmsThe piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. Those who live much in a court acquire courtly manners. GOD.1. God; God in Christ. We become unconscious of everything by long use. Justice, in this reference, is out of the question. vi. "Show me as much as I can stand, Lord." So what did God show him. The simple question, then, which meets us is, Wilt thou know thyself here, and now, that thou mayest accept and feel God's pity; or wilt thou keep within the screen, and not know thyself until beyond the grave, and then feel God's judicial wrath? God is really at work on our behalf. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. cxxxviii. To start saving items to a SermonFolder, please create an account. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. : While the Americans were blockading Cuba, several captains endeavoured to elude their vigilance by night, trusting that the darkness would conceal them as they passed between the American war-ships. Our relation toward such a God should be 1. So, here is an attempt at a definition: the glory of God is the infinite beauty and greatness of God's manifold perfections. iii. In the day when I cried Charles KingsleyOut of the DeepWherefore a Few Witnesses, which the Lord Deigns to Suggest to My Mind32. S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. Thomas AquinasOn Prayer and The Contemplative LifeEpistle Xlvii. "He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. And so, as I thought and prayed about what I might bring to you in these wonderful days, I was drawn by the Holy Spirit . the regular habit of reading the Bible at a fixed time, the occasional reminders of ourselves that God is looking on, these are our chief means of learning to remember His presence. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. vi. [2105] And these without all controversy we take to be humble. The worst has been seen, and that too by the holiest of beings, and yet eternal glory is offered to us! For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. 7 ad 3m II. If something is concerning or upsetting to you right now, know that God will take care of it. Forasmuch as each man is a part of the human race, and human nature is something social, and hath for a great and natural good, the power also of friendship; on this account God willed to create all men out of one, in order that they might be held in their society not only by likeness of kind, but also by bond of kindred. It is a fearful distinction (Genesis 28:17). He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. )PeopleDavid, PsalmistPlacesJerusalemTopicsAbandon, Accomplish, Age, Chief, Complete, Concerneth, Concerns, David, Endures, Endureth, Eternal, Everlasting, Fall, Forever, Forsake, Fulfil, Fulfill, Hands, Kindness, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Mercy, Musician, O, Perfect, Psalm, Purpose, Steadfast, WorksOutline1. He would always talk to God, even in the midst of rejection and persecution (Matt 11:20-28)! GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN KNOWS OF HIMSELF. If that Being has gone down into these depths of human depravity, and seen it with a more abhorring glance than could ever shoot from a finite eye, and yet has returned with a cordial offer to forgive it all, and a hearty proffer to cleanse it all away, then we can lift up the eye in adoration and in hope. : The fact that God is always present and knows every minute trifle in our lives, and that His unerring judgment will assuredly take count of every detail of our character and our conduct, neither exaggerating nor omitting, but applying absolute justice; this truth is one of those which lose force from their very universality. G. T. Shedd, D. D.)God's presenceArchbishop Temple. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. 24).(W. vi. 1, 2. Corresponding judgments await those who, shrinking from that all-seeing eye, with a repugnance predominant and increasing, must abide its searchings for ever. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. THE DIVINE OMNISCIENCE (vers. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. In short, to live with God is to be perpetually rising above the world; to live without Him is to be perpetually sinking into it, and with it, and below it. "I dwell with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the heart of the contrite ones."--ISA. cxxxviii. 7. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in our forgetting that we are in the presence of God any more than there is anything foolish in our forgetting that we need air to breathe or light to see by, or that if we fall we may hurt ourselves: just in the same way as we very often, and quite rightly, forget that we are in the company of men who will take notice of our faults. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. vi. He is in (1)Heaven. This is the communion with Him, and with Christ, which unquestionably helps the struggling, the penitent, the praying, more than anything else. The faith of that Centurion He on this account chiefly praised, and said St. To Dominicus, Bishop. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. The brilliant searchlight sweeping the broad ocean and revealing even the smallest craft on its surface is but a faint type of the Eternal Light from which no sinner can hide his sin. Self-consciousness has been the problem of the philosophic mind in all ages; and the mystery is not yet unravelled. The brilliant searchlight sweeping the broad ocean and revealing even the smallest craft on its surface is but a faint type of the Eternal Light from which no sinner can hide his sin. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. 8). I. Our hearts will put us in mind of God's eye being upon us every now and then involuntarily. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. His omniscience. In the day when I cried Charles KingsleyOut of the Deep. 24).(W. The Lord is nigh unto them that call upon Him; He also will hear their cry, and will help them.--Psalm cxlv. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. It's a collection of assorted personal concerns, like "come soon before winter if you can" (verses 9, 21) and "bring my cloak from Troas" (verse 13), and "watch out for Alexander the coppersmith" (verse 15), and "nobody showed up to support me at my defense" (verse 16), "but the Lord stood by me" (verse 17), and "greet . lvii. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. He will revive us."--HOS. "I dwell with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the heart of the contrite ones."--ISA. 1. And here let us look upon the bright as well as the dark side of this subject. Rom. (4)In the dark as well as the light.3. To Dominicus, Bishop. The faith of that Centurion He on this account chiefly praised, and said St. 2. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? One of these, borrowed from the Spanish theologian Francisco de Vitoria,48 was based on the universal right conferred by the 'law of nations' (ius gentium) to freedom of trade and communication. Those who live much in a court acquire courtly manners. To Dominicus, Bishop. S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. xviii. There must be a foundation for the promise. lxxxv. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. And lest the presence of God should be too much for us, Christ has taken human nature on Him, and has provided that He will be always with us as long as the world shall last. If that Being has gone down into these depths of human depravity, and seen it with a more abhorring glance than could ever shoot from a finite eye, and yet has returned with a cordial offer to forgive it all, and a hearty proffer to cleanse it all away, then we can lift up the eye in adoration and in hope. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Though the transgressor is ignorant of much of his sin, because, at the time of its commission, he sins blindly as well as wilfully, and unreflectingly as well as freely; and though the transgressor has forgotten much of that small amount of sin, of which he was conscious, and by which he was pained, at the time of its perpetration; though, on the side of man, the powers of self-inspection and memory have accomplished so little towards this preservation of man's sin, yet God knows it all, and remembers it all. That of a prayerful seeking of the Divine guidance (ver. xlix. Rom. (2)His knowledge of us is entire, complete.2. 2. GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN MIGHT, BUT DOES NOT, KNOW OF HIMSELF. He compasseth man's path, and his lying down, and is acquainted with all his ways. 7. Letter Xliii a Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. How few are the objects we see even thus externally and partially! "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. God has made us so. : The fact that God is always present and knows every minute trifle in our lives, and that His unerring judgment will assuredly take count of every detail of our character and our conduct, neither exaggerating nor omitting, but applying absolute justice; this truth is one of those which lose force from their very universality. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. ad probam IV. How great is the gratitude that is due to God from His saints, how innumerable are His blessings, how vast His mercy, how rich His grace and lovingkindness. "But how do you know all this? His omnipresence. We could never discharge our duties properly if we were to be perpetually distracted by the consciousness of what was around us: and, above all, we might be daunted by the perpetual thought of the presence of God, and so be paralyzed instead of helped. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?'