revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

May our minds be formed to a true taste and relish for the kingdom of God! and may we learn wherein it consists; not, like the kingdoms of this world, in external pomp and splendour, but in righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost, and that inward subjection of soul to the Divine government which is the essence of religion, and the grand security and felicity of our natures! Many are, like the Pharisees, talking of it, and expecting it, while it is among them, and they know it not; and, perhaps, despise the humble Christians in whom it resides, and most eminently triumphs. May they who think most lightly of it, never have cause to wish at last for the return of those days of the Son of man, which are now their burden, rather than their pleasure, while they hear vital and inward religion in vain recommended and enforced!

What our Lord says of his coming to the destruction of Jerusalem, may be applied, as it is elsewhere, to his appearance at the final judgment, of which the former was a figure. Thus shall the men of that generation be immersed in business and pleasure; and that tremendous day shall come upon them, even as a thief in the night; so that they shall find themselves overwhelmed with irrecoverable ruin, while they cry, Peace and safety. (1 Thess. v. 2, 3.) And thus doth the awful hour of death, which consigns men over to judgment, surprise the generality of mankind, while they are thoughtless of it, and unprepared for its approach, amidst all the solemn warnings of it which they daily receive. May we be always in a prepared posture, and daily live as on the verge of eternity!

And if once we are engaged in a course of serious prepara

tion, let us remember Lot's wife, and take heed that we turn not back again. We flee as for our lives; let us not look behind us. Whatever is to be left, whatever is to be lost, it is enough if our life be given us as for a prey.

If we have any just hope that it will be so given us, we have a great deal of reason to own and adore the riches of Divine grace to us, of that distinguishing grace which has taken us when others are left; some perhaps, employed in the same business, and dwelling in the same place; and, may not I add, some lying in the same bed too!

In a word, let all seriously bethink themselves, and flee from the wrath to come. God spared not Judea, that favourite country, when they rejected his gospel, and his Son: let us fear, lest he also spare not us. (Rom. xi. 20, 21.) In this respect also, wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. The same causes will produce the same effects; and when we, in particular, of these happy, but sinful nations, consider our numerous and aggravated provocations, we shall see much greater reason to wonder that the judgments of God have been so long delayed, than that they should at last fall upon us with an insupportable weight.

SECTION LVI.

LUKE XVIII. 1-14.

AND he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord saith, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though be bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and

despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

How hateful is the character of this unjust judge, who neither feared God, nor reverenced man, but centred all his regards in himself! How hateful, and how contemptible, in any circumstance of life; especially in a magistrate, the guardian of the public interest, in comparison of which he ought to forget his own! Yet even he was prevailed upon by importunity; and our Lord mentions it, to encourage the fervour of our addresses to the throne of grace. What then, is the blessed God, like this unjust judge, to be wearied out with a peal of words, and thereby weakly induced, to do what would otherwise have been contrary to his designs! Far from us be so absurd, and so impious a thought! Our condescending Lord only intended to intimate, that if the repeated importunate cries of the afflicted may at length prevail, even on an inhuman heart, they will be much more regarded by a righteous and merciful God, who is always ready to bestow his favours, when he sees we are prepared to receive them. We may be sure, that God will vindicate his elect: let this encourage them, though the rod of the wicked may for a while rest on their back and let it intimidate the proud oppressors of the earth, who in the midst of all their pomp and power, are so wretched, as to have the prayers of God's people against them.

How instructive is this parable of the publican and Pharisee? and how well connected with the former, to teach us that humility, without which repeated prayers will be repeated insults and affronts to heaven? Let us not trust in ourselves, that we are righteous, and despise others; but rather be severe to our own faults, and candid to theirs.

Behold this arrogant Pharisee, standing apart from the publican, but as near as he could to the seat of the Divine Majesty And hear him boldly celebrating his own praises,

rather than those of his Maker! God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men. We see a man may acknowledge, it is the grace of God which makes the difference between him and others; and yet while he professes that humbling doctrine of the gospel, may be blown up with pride: yea, he may nourish, and express that pride, by the words in which he declares his faith. Mistaken creature! that imagined this encomium on himself was a prayer, and trusted in this defective morality, and these ceremonies of human device, while an utter stranger to real vital religion. Happier, a thousand times happier, the poor publican, when abasing himself in the dust; when smiting on his breast; when owning himself a sinner, and imploring the Divine mercy as his only hope! Lord, we equally need it: may we with equal humility seek it! May we habitually maintain those views of ourselves, which may promote that humility, so necessary in order to the acceptance of our addresses, and therefore to the happiness of our souls. And indeed, if in our approaches to God, we can place our confidence in any righteousness of our own, whatever we may imagine of our own knowledge or holiness, we have need to be taught again the first principles of both, and are strangers to the essentials of religion.

SECTION LVII.

MATTHEW XIX. 3-12.

MARK X. 2-12.

AND the Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning of the creation made them male and female? And said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry

So.

another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

From what we have been reading we may justly take occasion to adore the wisdom and goodness of Divine Providence in creating the human species male and female, and providing for his new formed creature Adam so suitable and so amiable a companion, to enliven every other object of delight, and to crown the pleasures of Paradise itself.

Let us also acknowledge the apparent interposition of a wise and kind providence in maintaining such a proportion between the sexes, even to this day, which so apparently tends to the benefit of both, as well as to the support of the race in future ages; as also in perpetuating in their hearts through succeeding generations that mutual tenderness for each other which the purest bosoms may feel and vow, and which is the foundation of such an union of souls as no other friendship will admit.

Let those who are married, considering the indissoluble bond by which God has joined them together, make it their constant care to promote the comfort and happiness of each other and let them most cautiously guard against every degree of contention, or even of distaste, which might at length occasion an alienation in their affections, and render so close a bond proportionably grievous.

Let none rashly run into these important engagements, nor determine their choice by light considerations, of a low and transitory nature. And if any, on the whole, prefer the freedom of a single life to a state which, with its peculiar comforts,