wrath to come, or to lay hold on eternal life, this is the sure, the only way of attaining your end. Neglect Christ ; and, whatever else you either have or do, it will avail you nothing : you must "perish" everlastingly*. Love the Lord Jesus Christ, and give yourselves up u^nto him ; and, notwithstanding your past sins, or present infirmities, " you shall never perish, but shall have everlasting life^."]
* Luke xiv. 24. and John iii. 36. " John iii. 15, 16.
Ps. iv. 3. Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is
godly for himself.
RELIGION has in all ages been an object of de- rision to an ungodly world. There never have been w^anting those who resembled Cain and IshmaeP. God however has far other thoughts of those who serve him : the recollection of this is a comfort to the godly under their persecutions ; the consideration of it too might be of great advantage to the ungodly. The Psalmist seems to be reproving the wicked for their contempt of God, and their injurious treatment of his people : he therefore, in a way of triumphant exultation, suggests the thought in the text.
We shall,
I. Shew who are the objects of the divine favour —
The world is divided into two descriptions of men, godly, and ungodly. The godly are to be distin- guished by a great variety of marks —
They fear God —
[The generality sin without any shame or remorse''. But the godly can no longer proceed in such an evil course*'. They humble themselves before God for their past offences. They guard against offending him, even in thought '^.]
They love God —
[They are not actuated by a merely slavish fear. They have the spirit of adoption given to them^. They unfeignedly
a Gal. iv. 29. '' Eph. iv. 18, 19. <= 1 Pet. iv. 2, 3.
d 2 Cor. X. 5. e Gal. iv. 5.