fountains of water, and the flints into rivers of oil, forced out of his hardened heart tears of compassion and love. The same Esau, instead of drawing out his sword against his brother, embraced him with expressions of kindness, kissed, and wept over him.

Jacob's sons had wickedly intended to destroy their brother Joseph; they were ready to imbrue their cruel hands in the blood of this innocent lamb ; but by a secret and wonderful providence God stopped their hellish design. This great and sovereign Monarch of the whole world, who draws light out of darkness, made use of the most damnable malice and hatred to accomplish his good purpose, and to raise his servant to a considerable degree of honour and glory which was prepared for him. These inhuman souls, full of envy and displeasure, conspired together, how to hinder the fulfilling of Joseph's dream. But, contrary to their intention, they made way and were instrumental to the accomplishment of that which God had revealed to his prophet: therefore when his brethren were afraid lest he should revenge himself upon them, when he had power in his hand, he answered them, with a heart full of charity and love, "I am in the place of God. As for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, Gen. 1. 19, 20.

David, a man after God's own heart, fell into many fearful dangers, so that he was reduced oft-times to the very gates of death; but God preserved "his soul from the grave, his eyes from tears, and his feet from falling," Psa. cxvi. In the wilderness of Maon, king Saul had surrounded him with his men on every side, so that no help or succour was to be expected from man, 1 Sam. xxiii. But by a wonderful providence God delivered him: for when he was ready to be caught, a messenger comes to inform Saul, "Make haste and come, for the Philistines are entered into thy land ;” so

that

that neither the inhuman persecutions of this tyrant, nor the abominable plotting of his unnatural sons, nor the tumults and revolts of the people, nor the most furious tempests of hell and the world, have ever been able to extinguish his life before the time appointed. When he had spent all the days allotted to him by God's good providence, he fell asleep, as a man who lays himself down to rest quietly, after a long and laborious task.

Queen Jezebel was enraged against the prophet Elijah ; she had sworn by her gods that he should surely be put to death; but by a miracle God kept him out of the bloody hands of this incarnate devil, and by another miracle he preserved from famine and hunger him whom he had before preserved from Jezebel's sword and fury; he sent the ravens to feed him with bread and meat, morning and evening; and for his sake God increased the widow of Sarepta's oil and meal. When he was ready to be famished in the wilderness, God dispatched an angel to him to carry him meat and drink. In short, all the storms that the devil raised against him, could not destroy his life; so that when God had resolved to crown his labours, he fetched him away in a chariot of fire, and carried him up into heaven,

The Syrians were resolved to take the prophet Elisha, because he discovered their most secret counsels, and frustrated all their designs: therefore they besieged the town of Dothan, to seize upon this man of God. When his servant beheld the dreadful number of horses and chariots, which surrounded that weak city, he cried out in a fright, "Alas, master, what shall we do ?" And he answered, "Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them," 2 Kings vi. At these words of Elisha, the eyes of the poor man were opened, and he saw an innumerable company of chariots of fire, and horses of fire, which God had sent from heaven to guard his servant the prophet.

The

The Jews often plotted against our Saviour Chrisr, and attempted to kill him, John x. They came so near to the execution of their bloody design, as to take up stones to cast at him, and knock him down; and to bring him to the side of an high mountain to throw him headlong: but he always escaped out of their hands, and passed through the midst of them without any harm. It was impossible for them to lay hold of him, when they had undertaken and resolved it. The reason which the Spirit of God gives, is, because that his hour was not yet come," John vii. 18.

The high priests and the Sadducees were inflamed with a hellish fury against the holy apostles: they laid hands on them, and cast them into the public prisons, Acts v. But because the time of their martyrdom appointed by God was not yet come, he sent his holy angels to free them from their chains,, and set them at liberty. When Herod saw that the Jews thirsted for the blood of God's servants, the apos tles, Acts xii. and that they delighted in their execution, he cut off the head of James; afterwards he took Peter, clape ped him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of şoldiers, with intention to bring him to execution after the feast of Easter. But the hour was not yet come in which his holy apostle was to be crucified for the glory of him who was crucified for his salvation. Therefore the night immediately before his designed execution, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door. On a sudden a great light shined in the prison, and the angel of the Lord came and smote him on the side, and raised him up, saying, " Arise up quickly;" and his chains fell from his hands, and the angel said unto him, "Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals ;" and so he did: Then he saith unto him, " Cast thy garments about thee, and follow me; and he went out and followed him, and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he had seen a vision. But when they were past

the

the first and second ward, they came to the iron gate, which opened of its own accord; and when they were passed through one street, the angel departed from him: then Peter being come to himself, said, Now I know of surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hands of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews."

In short, when the hour is not yet come, which God has marked out, and appointed to take unto himself his faithful servants, there is no miracle so great but he will shew it for their sake; he dries up the seas, he stops the lions' mouths, he denies to the fire its usual heat, he keeps them alive in the midst of the floods and flames, in the whale's belly, in the fiery furnaces, and in the deepest gulfs,

If we did but examine the memorials of our forefathers, and consider the things that we have seen with our eyes, and experienced from our infancy, we should find, that the means which God had employed, and which he does daily employ, for our deliverance, are no less wonderful than those of former ages. God's arm is not shortened, his al mighty power is not lessened; he hath yet as much authority as ever, over men and devils; and divine Providence is no less watchful for the preservation of such as fear and worship him. If we had the eye of the soul as open as the eyes of our body, or if we could but perceive the things that are of themselves invisible, we should see, that God looks upon us continually with the eye of his love, and of his fa therly care; and that he covers us with his hand, as with a buckler of proof, against all the darts of the world and of hell; we should see, that we are encompassed about with a wall of fire, and that the holy angels guard us on every side. We should then acknowledge, that it is God who holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved, Psa. lx. And we should cry out as David, “ O

God,

God, who is like unto thee? Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth: thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side," Psa. Ixxi.

Although this wholesome and most useful doctrine be plainly taught in holy writ, and sufficiently confirmed by so many examples out of the word of God, some there are that oppose it with many needless objections.

In the first place, they say, that God promiseth length of days to such children as are obedient to their fathers and mothers; from whence they think to infer that our life hath no certain time limited, that it is prolonged or shortened, as we prove obedient or disobedient to God and his holy laws.There is no difficulty to give an answer to this objection.

That in the language of the Holy Spirit, the word that signifies there to prolong, signifies not always to make a thing longer than it was, or should be, but only to make it of a long continuance. So that God promises not here, that the children who shall obey his sacred laws shall enjoy a longer life than otherwise it ought to be, but only that he will do them the favour to let them live long and happy in this world. We may prove this exposition by St. Paul's words, who paraphrases the first commandment of the second table in this manner, "Children, obey your fathers and mothers in the Lord, for it is just: Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long upon the earth."-This promise is to be understood with some exception; if God should judge it expedient fór his glory, and for the good of his children: for there are many pious and obedient children, whom God withdraws out of the world in the flower of their age, to give them an happy life, which shall have no other limits than eternity.