that are religious to attend him-saying, with David, "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit, shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight." And secondly; he will be likely to render them such, if they are not such when he engages them. For he will be sure to use all the means in his power: and his own temper and example will harmonize with his efforts and the grace of God, which he will never fail to implore, will honour him. Thus, they who are blessed, are also blessings, and for them the desert rejoices as a rose. Some are favoured by their opportunities and talents, to cultivate a large expanse of barrenness: but let us see, let us all see, whether we cannot convert a small spot at least, from waste, to smiling verdure: cultivate, if not the neighbouring moor, yet a cottage garden, and let the traveller say, "The blessing of the Lord be upon thee." Many a domestic has been thankful that he ever entered a pious family: there he has been made wise unto salvation, and has become a child of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. What a disgrace is it, for a Christian master and mistress to let a servant leave their family unable to read the Bible!

"So, having declared these things to them, he sent them to Joppa." Here we have, not a harsh injunction to a trembling slave; not a bare order, couched in a few unexplained terms; not the sealed instructions, the orders of a tyrant, who is to be implicitly obeyed, and is afraid to trust. Here is intercourse, openness; here is confidence in the master, reposing on principle in the servants. How happy, where the distinctions of life are preserved-and they are to be preserved; and yet there is union, and harmony; and condescension, and kindness; and unreserve on the one side, and respect and obedience, without encroachment, on the other. How

happy where authority is softened by gentleness, and submission by love: where indulgence breeds nothing like irreverence, and goodness is rewarded by diligence and fidelity. And in what connexions, in what families, is all this most likely to be found? "Men do not gather grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles." Piety is the spring; the guard; the refinement; the glory of morality.

JAN. 31.-" And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which, when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet."

Exod. xv. 25.

It is useless to enquire what kind of tree this was, and whether the effect was produced by a quality inherent in the wood, or by a miraculous application-the latter is far the most likely. But it has been disputed, whether this transaction was designed to be an evangelical type. Perhaps it is impossible to determine this-and it is unnecessary. We shall only derive from it an illustration of a very interesting subject, in which we are fully justified by the words of the Apostle to the suffering Hebrews: "Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

We, like these Jews, are travelling through a wildernes. In our journey we meet with bitter waters. These are the troubles of life, personal and relative. These are very distasteful and offensive to flesh and blood. But they may be rendered drinkable. other words, we may be able to endure the afflictions of life-yea, we may even acquiesce in them; and not only so, but glory in tribulation also.

In

But how can this be done? Here is the secret

Let us see how the Saviour's sufferings will alleviate ours. It is some relief in distress that others are exercised in the same way. Individuality of woe looks ominous-it is appalling to be singled out like a victim deer from the whole herd, and suffer alone. Thus the Apostle tells the Corinthians that no temptation had taken them but such as is common to man -and Peter also tells the sufferers he addressed, that the same afflictions were accomplished in their brethren that were in the world. So it is-whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. This has been the case with even his most eminent servants. And even his "Dear Son," in whom his soul delighted-He, even he, did not escape. And shall we dread the fellowship of his sufferings?

But if there is something to affect the mind, even in the reality of his passion, there is much more in the greatness of it. In general, our groaning is heavier than our complaint; and we are prone, from our selfishness and ignorance, to imagine our trials pre-eminent. He could say, behold, and see if ever there was sorrow like unto my sorrow. In our sorrows we have alleviations. Ours are not perpetual; but his continued through life. Ours are not universal; but he suffered in every part that was capable of suffering-he was a man of sorrows. Ours are not foreknown; but his were

all laid out in prospect, and he suffered in apprehension, as well as reality. No tongue can express, or understanding conceive, what he bore when his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; and his sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground!

"Now let our pains be all forgot,

"Our hearts no more repine;

"Our suff'rings are not worth a thought,
"When, Lord, compared with thine."

We must also think of the dignity of this sufferer. We commonly and properly feel more for those who are reduced in life, than for those who have never enjoyed a better estate, because the penury is embittered by previous affluence. Job considers his former greatness as an enhancement of his fall, and contrasts with the honours shewn him in his prosperity, the insults now offered him by those whose fathers he would not have set with the dogs of his flock. "They were children of fools; yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth. And now I am their song; yea, I am their by-word. They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face." Jesus was the Lord of all; and all the angels of God worshipped him. Yet was he despised and rejected of men; he was buffeted, scourged, spit upon; and not only the Scribes and Elders, but the soldiers, the common rabble, and the very thieves, set him at nought, and vilified him. But who and what are we? Our foundation is in the dust. Man is a worm, and the son of man is a worm; and it is condescension in God to have any thing to do with him, yea, even to chastise him. "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?"

But the great may render themselves worthy of their humiliations; and often have been righteously punished. We suffer justly, because we suffer the due reward of our deeds. Good men themselves cannot complain, or even wonder, at their afflictions, when they consider their years of irreligion, and their sins, since they have known God, or rather have been known of him-for who can understand his errors? In the sudden and awful death of his two sons, Aaron held his peace-he had just before been aiding to make the golden calf. David had been recently guilty of adultery and murder; when therefore Absalom, his own son, as well as subject, rose against him, what could he but say, of his offended God, Here I am, let him do to me what seemeth good unto him. This consciousness also induced him to say, Let him alone, for the Lord hath bidden him, when Shimei cursed him, and Joab offered to go and slay him. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because, says the Church, I have sinned agninst him. But this man did nothing amiss-he was harmless, holy, separate from sinners. He could make the appeal to all his adversaries, Which of you convinceth me of sin? Yet he suffered-suffered, though innocent ; and was led as a lamb to the slaughter.

His sufferings, therefore, were for us, only and entirely for us-and what can be more relieving in our sorrows, than to consider the benefits we derive from his? Such is the benefit of an atoning Sacrifice; by which we are delivered from all condemnation, and have peace with God, and access to him. What are trials? when there is no wrath in them; when they are only the effects of a father's care-the bitterness of death is past. Such is the benefit of a sympathising Friend; who, from his own experience, can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities-for in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able also to succour them