lap), was maimed in all its powers, and greatly defiled, yet, blessed be God, through faith, Christ Jesus, that Physician of value, will heal and purify all again, and set it down to feast continually at the King's table above. 2 Sam. iv. 4. and ix. 13. And seeing God hath thus highly distinguished us from the inferior creatures, not only by reason, but also in the use and capacity of all our mental powers, how thankful should we be, and improve them for his honour and glory, for which end we were endowed with them, and after whose image we were made! And, on the other hand, treat with gentleness those inferior creatures, which bear so much of ours. The soul of man, a most active intelligent being, must, of necessity, according to its essence, always be thinking on something, and can it be employed in a more reasonable service, or train of thought, than meditating on the fountain of its being, and his wonderful works? A SPRING-DAY. CONTEMPLATION I. ON THE DAWN OF THE MORNING. WHILE drowsy mortals are as yet supinely snoring on their couches, some, it may be, struggling in their dreams with sore conflicts, and others exulting in imaginary bliss; let me, this fine morning, stray into the fields, and while I wet my foot with the virgin dews, regale my scent with the balmy odours which the zephyrs breathe from the flowering herbage; the beauties of which are at present obscured by the darkness. Now, in this season, of all others best adapted for meditation, may I employ my thoughts on suitable subjects, and begin with contemplating the goodness of my Maker, in bringing me safely through the last night, acknowledging, with the prophet, “his mer C "cies are new every morning;" while yonder dappled East declareth, that "great is his "faithfulness," who hath promised that there shall be day and night while the earth remaineth. The light now approaches, how feeble are its rays! Yet I know it to be the dawn, for I begin to discover some of the objects around me. How rapid is its motion! like 66 the swift tide which overflows the sand till all is lost in one vast ocean; so prevails the light over the darkness, but with incredible more velocity, till night is overwhelmed in the glare of day. Truly the light is sweet, (saith the inspired Solomon,) and a plea"sant thing it is for the eyes to behold the "sun." Eccl. xi. 7. This putteth me in mind of the creation of the world, when God said, "Let there be light, and there was light." Gen. i. 3. Had that omnipotent, infinitely gracious word, not been spoken, how miserable, if at all, had our world been! man would have groped in darkness, and worn out a short life in wretchedness and grief. But this calleth to my memory a still more interesting subject; namely, the fall of man, and the first promise of the Gospel; when Adam, by his awful apostacy from the path of rectitude, eternally benighted, not only himself, but all his posterity, in misery and woe: Thus was man in gross darkness, going headlong down to the pit of destruction, when, lo! a voice was heard which might well astonish both heaven and earth, for it was the voice of mercy, the Lord God saying, as it were, Suffer him not to go down to the pit, for I have found a ransom, Job xxxiii. 24.; when, to the wonder of angels, and the astonishment of men, he said in effect, as he said with respect to the natural world, "Let there be light." When he gave that infinitely merciful and unspeakably precious promise, that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent, Gen. iii. 15. this no doubt surprised Adam with joy inexpressible, and enkindled such a flame of gratitude in his soul as eternity itself shall never be able to extinguish. This first promise of the gospel, like the natural dawn, unfolded itself still more and more, through all the Old Testament dispen 1 benighted situation, and were enabled to come out of the dark howling wilderness of sin, from the snares of Pagan and Romish superstition, and made to walk in the way everlasting, Psalm cxxxix. 24.; and since to us, their children, the light of the glorious gospel still shineth in our land, how ought we to rejoice in God our Saviour, who "hath "broken down the middle wall of partition," Eph. ii. 14. and, as well as the Jews, hath visited the Gentiles with salvation. For my part, I desire to sing with the sweet Psalmist of Israel, that "the lines are fallen ❝ unto me in pleasant places," Psalm xvi. 6. ; May I walk in the light of his countenance, Psalm lxxxix, 15. while here, and at length enter into that "city, which hath founda❝tions, whose builder and maker is God, Heb. xi. 10. ; where there is "no need of "the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in 27 it; for the glory of God" doth "lighten "it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, and "the nations of them which are saved shall "walk in the light of it," Rev, xxi. 23, 24, He, whose star conducted the wise men of the east to the humble place of his birth, |