brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb ? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it, and brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?"-Had not Jesus possessed this prerogative, and exercised this power, as the Almighty Creator, surely he would not have presumed, without even the slightest reference to any delegated authority, to say to the winds and waves," Peace, be still: "-nor would the contending elements, so addressed, have instantly obeyed him, had he not been their proper Sovereign-their rightful Lord. Him then let us devoutly adore-to Him let us address the tribute of our praise-in Him let us humbly put our trust, while we confidently believe that He is "over all, God blessed for ever,” and therefore, in the character of our Redeemer, mighty

to save.

2. Let the subject which we have considered remind us, in the next place, that conflicting elements are the servants of Jehovah. Winds and waves, storms and tempests, however violent and terrific, are directed by His hand, and controlled by His power. No injury can they inflict, no desolation can they cause, beyond what He appoints, or is pleased for wise and sufficient reasons to permit. This is a consolatory thought in seasons of imminent danger on the tempestuous ocean, to all those, but to those only, who make God their refuge and strength. The contemplation too may lead us to the further reflection,

that nothing can permanently, nothing can really, injure those whose trust and confidence is in the living God. My brethren, let us earnestly pray that such trust and confidence may be ours. Then shall we be prepared to say, in the language and spirit of the Church," God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof....The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

3. We observe, thirdly, that as He only who quells the storm, and silences the winds, can still the madness of the people, so He alone can avert the tempest of Divine wrath, infinitely more to be dreaded than every other source of alarm and dismay. Without His interposition, that wrath had overwhelmed us all in everlasting destruction: and those who do not individually seek an interest in that interposition, must perish for ever in the day when vengeance shall pursue its unrestrained course against the ungodly. Oh then! let us not only adore and reverence the Majesty of Jesus, but believing in, and resorting to Him as the Saviour of sinners, let us confide in his power, as exercised in connection with his mercy, for the deliverance and preservation of those who come to Him by faith. We are in danger of perishing through sin, which has exposed us to the wrath of God, who is holy and just, and to whom sin is an

abomination: Jesus Christ is able to rescue us by his power from the destruction which threatens us, and to keep us in perfect peace and security. If we know our danger as guilty sinners, conscience will be troubled, and we shall be seriously alarmed, till we learn where deliverance and safety are to be found. This trouble, Jesus Christ alone can remove ;-this alarm, He alone can lay to rest. To Him therefore let us repair, to Him let us make application-to Him let us earnestly address the suitable and re-iterated petition, "Lord, save us : we perish."

4. We remark, fourthly, that those who possess and exercise faith, though that faith be weak and feeble, are heard and blessed by the Saviour. The disciples, in the midst of their fear, went to Jesus in the exer, cise of faith, and he granted them the help which they implored; though he seasonably rebuked them for suffering their fears to gain that ascendancy over them, which manifested that their faith was not proportioned to the means of information, and to the various advantages, with which they had been most highly favoured. While then, beloved brethren, we are encouraged by the assurance that real faith, however feeble, will be acknowledged by Him who is the Author and Giver of it, let us humble ourselves before Him on account of the weakness of our own, and earnestly pray that he would be pleased to increase and strengthen it ever more and more, to the glory of His name, and to our own real comfort and joy!

5. Finally. How awful, when exerted against the ungodly at the judgment of the great day, must be

that power to which the mightiest elements are entirely subject! This indeed is closely connected with, but it is distinct from, an observation already made. Tremble then, ye wicked, for HE cometh who is clothed with majesty, and girt with omnipotence,-for He cometh to judge the world. How shall ye stand when He appeareth; or who shall deliver you, at that solemn period, from his overwhelming wrath? Its most tremendous attribute at that day will be its absolute inevitability. If you would then be safe under his protecting care, apply to Him now for deliverance from the guilt, and power, and all the dreadful consequences of sin. "Behold,

now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation." Go then with earnest importunity to the throne of grace :-there pray, with fervency and sincerity of heart, "Lord, save us: we perish; "— then will He deliver you from all your fears,-then will He protect and help you,-then will he bring you in safety to the haven of eternal rest!

DISCOURSE XXV.

THOUSANDS MIRACULOUSLY FED.

MATTHEW XIV. 16.

But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

We learn from the history of our blessed Lord, that there were two distinct occasions on which he gave evidence of his Divine power, and "manifested forth his glory," by miraculously feeding vast multitudes of people who had resorted to him from various quarters. To these numerous followers he had previously communicated spiritual instruction, and, in many instances, the restoration of bodily health.

The circumstances connected with these two occasions so nearly resemble each other, that it will be sufficient to select one of them for special consideration, adverting to the other, only with reference to those points in which they differ. Let our attention then be directed to that which is recorded by all the four Evangelists, and which in some respects is the