happiness and misery lieth, the favor and anger of God. As their natures differ most by the habit of their affection towards God, as their main distinguishing character, so the difference of their estate consists in the point of his affection towards them, expressed here in our language by the divers aspects of his countenance; because our love or hatred usually shows itself that way.

Now for the other word expressing his favor to the righteous, by the openness of his ear-the opposition in the other needed not be expressed; for either the wicked pray not, or if they do, it is indeed no prayer, the Lord doth not account nor receive it as such; and if his face be set against them, certainly his ear is shut against them too, and so shut that it openeth not to their loudest prayer. Though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them, says the Lord, Ezek. viii, 18.

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The eyes of the Lord. We see, 1, that both are in his sight, the righteous and the wicked; all of them and all their ways. His eye is on the one, and his face on the other; but so on these as to be against them. It is therefore rendered as denoting his eye of knowledge and of observance, marking them and their actions, which is equally upon both. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. Foolishly and wretchedly done, to do that or think that, which we would hide from the Lord, and then to think that we can hide it! The prophet speaks woe to such ; Woe to them that dig deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us, and who knoweth us? And this is the grand principle of all wickedness, an habitual forgetting of God and his eye, not considering that he beholds us. Thence all impiety proceeds; and, on the other side, the remembrance of his eye, is a radical point of piety and holi

ness.

2. But as the Lord doth thus equally see both, so as that his eye and countenance imports his mind concerning them and towards them, the manner of his beholding them is different, yea, contrary. And from the beholding them in common, knowing their ways, arises this different beholding, which is the approving and dis

liking, the loving and hating them, and their ways: so he peculiarly knows the righteous and their ways, and knows not, never knew, the workers of iniquity; even those that by their profession would plead most acquaintance, and familiar converse, eating and drinking in his presence, and yet, I know you not, says he, whence you are. It is not a breaking off from former acquaintance; no, he doth not that; he disavows none that ever were truly acquainted with him. So another evangelist hath it, Matth. vii, 29, I never knew you; depart from me; and the convincing reason lies in this, Ye workers of iniquity : none of his favorites and friends are such.

Thus here, his eye, his gracious eye for good, is on the righteous; and his face, his angry looks, his just wrath against evil-doers.

In the 11th psalm we have this expressed much after the same way. What we spoke of God's knowing and beholding in common the righteous and wicked, and their ways, is represented by his sitting on high, where he may mark and see clearly throughout all places and all hearts. His throne is in heaven, his eyes behold, his eye-lids try the children of men, ver. 4. He sits in heaven, not as in a chair of rest, regardless of human things, but on a throne for governing and judging; though with as little uneasiness and disturbance, as if there were nothing to be done that way. His eyes behold, not in a fruitless contemplation or knowledge, but his eye-lids try, which signifies an intent inspection, such as men usually make with a kind of motion of their eye-lids. Then upon this is added the different portion of the righteous and wicked, in his beholding them and dealing with them; The Lord trieth the righteous, ver. 5, approves what is good in them, and by trial and affliction doth purge out what is evil; and in both these there is love; but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth; and therefore, as here, his face is against them; he looks upon them with indignation; and thence come the storms in the next verse, Snares rained down; the wariest foot cannot avoid such snares, they come down upon them from above; Fire and brimstone and burning tempest, alluding to Sodom's judgment, as an emblem of the

punishment of all the wicked: this is the portion of their cup. There is a cup for them, but his children drink not with them. They have another cup; the Lord himself is the portion of their cup; as the Psalm closes, The righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright: that is another beholding than the former, a gracious, loving beholding; as here, His eyes are upon the righteous.

Now the persuasion of this truth is the main establishment of a godly mind amidst all the present confusions that appear in things. To look upon the present florishing and prosperity of evil-doers and on the distresses and sorrows of the godly, is a dark obscure matter in itself but the way to be cleared and comforted is, to look above them to the Lord. They looked unto him and were lightened, Psal. xxxiv, 5, That answers all doubts, to believe this undoubted providence and justice, the eye of God that sees all, yea, rules all these things. And in the midst of all the painted happiness of wicked men, this is enough to make them miserable, The Lord's face is against them; and they shall surely find it so. He hath wrath and judgment in store, and will bring it forth to light, will execute it in due time; he is preparing for them that cup spoken of, and they shall drink it. So in the saddest condition of his church and a believing soul, to know this, that the Lord's eye is even then upon them, and that he is upon thoughts of peace and love to them, is that which settles and composes the mind. This is the thing that faithful souls should learn to look to, and not lose view and firm belief of, and should desire the Lord himself to raise their minds to it, when they are ready to sink. Natural strength and resolution will not serve the turn; floods may come that will arise above that; something above a man's own spirit must support him: therefore say with David, When my spirit is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. They think sometimes it is so hard with them, that he regards not; but he assures them of the contrary, I have graven thee upon the palms of mine hands. I cannot look upon my own hands, but I must remember thee; and thy walls are continually before me.

Now a little more particularly to consider the expres sions, and their scope here-how is that made good which the former words teach, that they who walk in the ways of wickedness can expect no good, but are certainly miserable? Thus-the face of the Lord is against them. Prosper they may in their affairs and estates, may have riches, and posterity, and friends, and the world caressing them and smiling on them on all hands; but there is this one thing that damps all-the face of the Lord is against them. This they feel not indeed for the time; it is an invisible ill, out of sight and out of mind with them; but there is a time of the appearing of this face of the Lord against them, the revelation of his righteous judgment. Sometimes they have precursory days of it here; there is, however, one great prefixed day, a day of darkness to them, wherein they shall know what this is that now sounds so light, to have the face of the Lord against them. A look of it is more terrible than all present miseries combined together; what then shall the eternity of it be? to be punished with everlasting des truction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power! Are we not then foolish creatures, who are so thoughtful how our poor businesses here succeed with us, and how we are accounted of in the world, and how the faces of men are towards us, and scarcely ever enter into a secret, serious inquiry how the countenance of God is to us, whether favorably shining on us, or still angrily set against us, as it is against all impenitent sinners?

The face of the soul being towards God, turned away from the world and sin, argues for it, that his face is not against it, but that he hath graciously looked upon it, and by a look of love hath drawn it towards himself; for we act not first in this matter. There is no love of God but what comes from God. It is he that prevents us, and by the beams of his love kindles love in our hearts. Now the soul that is thus set towards him, doth not, it may be, constantly see his shining full and clear upon it, but often clouded; nay, it may be, such a soul hath not yet at all seen it sensibly; yet this it may concludeSeeing my desires are towards him, and my chief desire is

the sweet light of his countenance, though as yet I find not his face shining on me, yet I am persuaded it is not set against me to destroy me. Unbelief, when the soul is much under its influence and distempered by it, may suggest this sometimes too; but yet there is still some spark of hope that it is otherwise, that the eye of the Lord's pity is even in that estate upon us, and will in time manifest itself to be so.

To the other question, What assurance have the godly for that seeing of good, these blessings you speak of?— this is the answer; The eyes of the Lord are upon them, and his ears open to their prayer.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. This hath in it, first, his love, the propension of his heart towards them. The eye is the servant of the affection; it naturally turns that way most, where the heart is. There fore the Lord is thus pleased to speak of his love to his own. He views all the world, but he looks upon them with a peculiar delight; his eye is still on them, as it were, turned towards them from all the rest of the world. Though he doth not always let them see these his looks, yet still his eye is indeed upon them, attracted by the beauty of grace in them, his own work the beauty that be himself hath put upon them.

The phrase expresses, secondly, his good providence and readiness to do them good, to supply their wants, and order their affairs for them, to answer their desires, and thus to let them find the fruits of that love which so

leads his eye and ear towards them. His eye is upon them; he is devising and thinking what to do for them; it is the thing he thinks on most. His eyes are upon all, but they are busied, as he is pleased to express it, they run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in behalf of them, whose heart is perfect towards him. 2 Chron. xvi, 9. This is an unspeakable comfort, when a poor believer is in great perplexity of any kind in his outward or spiritual condition. Well, he may say, I see no way; I am blind in this, but there are eyes upon me, that see well what is best. The Lord is minding me, and bringing about all to my advantage. I am poor and needy; but the Lord thinketh on me. That