and flesh," saith Job, "and fenced me "with bones and sinews," Job x. 11. In like manner, faith, knowledge, sound principles, and holiness, as necessarily constitute the new creature: and as without the heart, rind, bark, and fibres, or any one of these, the tree could not grow and prosper: nor without blood, bones, flesh, sinews, and skin, nor any one of them, could the human frame subsist; so wholly destitute of all, or any one of those constituent parts of the new creature, no man need flatter himself he is created in Christ Jesus, Eph. ii. 10., or have on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, Eph. iv. 24., or have any expectation of salvation so long as this is the case; "for without "faith it is impossible to please God," Heb. xi. 6: "For it is a people of no understanding," saith the prophet, "therefore he "that made them will not have mercy on "them, and he that formed them will shew "them no favour," Isa. xxvii. 11.

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My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, "saith the Lord," Hos. iv. 6. "Ye have "need that one teach you again which be "the first principles of the oracles of God," Heb..v. 12. "He layeth up sound wisdom

" for the righteous: a sound heart is the life "of the flesh. Hold fast the form of sound' "words. Rebuke them sharply, that they 66 may be sound in the faith. Speak thou "the things that become sound doctrine," Prov. ii. 7. xiv. 30. 2 Tim. i. 13. Tit. i. 13. ii. 1. "To the law and to the testimony, "if they speak not according to this word, "it is because there is no light in them,' Isa. viii. 20. "The new man after God is “created in righteousness and true holiness,” Eph. iv. 24. And without holiness no man shall see the Lord, Heb. xii. 14.

How careful then ought I and every one else to be, in examining whether we have saving faith, knowledge, sound principles, and holiness? and which of these we find ourselves most deficient in, that let us cultivate more and more.

This wood is a receptacle for both clean and unclean animals: some ferocious, and others gentle, and the latter are often devoured by the former. Just so is this world, a habitation for both bad and good men: and as Pharaoh's lean and ill-favoured kine ate up the well-favoured and fat kine, Gen.

xli. 3, 4. so those ill-favoured, and hell-favoured, eat up those who are the favourites of heaven. Psal. xiv. 4. and this is permitted by the wise orderer of all things, for the best of reasons: but it shall not always be so; for the tables shall soon be changed; "Like sheep

they are laid in the grave, death shall feed

on them, and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning." Psal. xlix.

14.

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As beasts of the forest come forth in the night to hunt for their prey, but no sooner is the sun up, than they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens, then man goeth to his labour, Ps. civ. 2023., and the traveller may proceed on in his journey with safety: So the wicked, who are compared to lions, Psalm lvii. 4. harass and devour the righteous in this short mortal life, which is but as a night, or a dream of the night, or rather nothing, in comparison of that endless day which the righteous shall enjoy in a future state.

In that morning, big with the greatest of events, even that decisive morning of the resurrection, when the Sun of righteousness

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shall, to the unspeakable joy and comfort of his people, be seen coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory: then indeed shall the righteous have power over the wicked, and these lions shall be gathered together, and made to lie down in the infernal den of utter darkness, eternal misery and woe. Then will the righteous rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; there being nothing to hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain, Isa. xi. 9.

What pitiful shrieks are these which I hear! O, I perceive it is a hawk which has seized on a feeble wren, and is bearing it off in his claws, and the poor little creature can do nothing but cry.

Well done, lucky shot! A fowler just now passing through yonder glade has observed and shot the hawk; and I cannot help being somewhat glad at the circumstance; though, poor creature, it was only acting agreeably to the law of nature, yet I could not help feeling very much for the little captive it had

seized.

This circumstance putteth me in mind, that however much the wicked may oppress and tyrannize over the people of the Lord, and those that are poor in this world, and though these poor oppressed can do nothing but cry; yet their cries shall enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, James v. 4. who will arise for the oppression of the poor, and the sighing of the needy, and set them in safety from their oppressors, Psalm xii. 5., for the Lord is the avenger of all such, 1 Thess. iv. 6.

The wicked may take their time in sinning and oppressing the poor and the needy; but the Lord will take his time in punishing them for their iniquity and cruelty: "Ven

geance is mine, I will repay, saith the "Lord," Rom. xii. 19.

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