thee. Repair not, under the pressure of woe, to the rope, or the bowl of intoxication, or the dissipations of the world-this is like Saul's going to the witch of Endor: but go to the Throne of the Heavenly Grace, imploring the pity of the God of all comfort. He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. It is your welfare that has called forth this seeming severity. He knows your frame. He remembereth that you are dust. He lays upon

you no more than he will enable you to bear. He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger for ever. When the benevolent end of the dispensation is answered, he will readily lay aside the rod, and say, "Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps; set thine heart towards the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities." For He is rich in mercy.

Secondly. Convinced penitents. They were formerly always extenuating their guilt: now they are dwelling only upon the aggravations of it. Lately they seemed unsusceptible of alarm; but now they refuse to be comforted. Such is their unworthiness! The number and greatness of their sins! They are cast out of his sight! And there is only for them, a certain fearful looking-for of judgment and fiery indignation! But oh! awakened sinner, there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. There is everlasting consolation, and good hope, through grace. With the Lord there is mercy; and with him is plenteous redemption. Judge not of Him by a human standard. Who is a God, like unto Him! View him not through the medium of your own feelings. Believe his own Word, wherein he assures you, that he is ready to forgive; that he will abun

dantly pardon. Believe his oath, wherein he swears by himself "As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of him that dieth; wherefore turn, and live ye."

"Raise thy downcast eyes, and see

"What forms His throne surround: "They, though sinners once, like me, "Have full salvation found."

He is rich in mercy.

Thirdly. Desponding backsliders. These, after walking in the way everlasting, have fallen by their iniquity and perhaps feel more anguish of mind, than when they were first led to repentance. They say, and they say justly, "No one has sinned with such enhancement as I have done. I have sinned against the dearest relations, and under the highest obligations, and against the greatest advantages. I have sinned, after being made to know what an evil and bitter thing it is; and also after tasting that the Lord is gracious. My sin has been more injurious in its effects than that of others: it has more dishonoured religion, and grieved the Holy Spirit of God." All this they ought to feel-Yet must not they forget, that He is rich in mercy. It is this belief that will break the heart most, and make it sorrow after a godly sort. It is this alone that will lead them forward, with weeping and supplications, saying, Lord, take away all iniquity: create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. And He will He refuse to reply, "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him"?

Fourthly. Persevering believers. These have holden on their way; and, having obtained help of God, continue to this day. They ought, therefore, to feel thankful. But it becomes them, also, to be humble. Indeed, the more they advance in the Divine life, the more will they be dissatisfied with themselves. They will be deeply affected with a sense of their unprofitableness, and numberless infirmities. If their outward conduct has been fair to men, they know how little their heart has been right with God. They know, the sins of their holy things would be enough to condemn them, if God should bring them into judgment with him. Their language, therefore, still is, God be merciful to me, a sinner. This is their only relief-He is rich in mercy. And living— and dying-they "look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

JULY 19.-"As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about-This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord."

Ezek. i. 28.

THERE is always ground for the Prophet's complaint: "Seeing many things, they observe not."-How often do even objects, peculiarly designed and adapted to excite and impress, fail to strike, or at least to awaken any proper attention! This is the case with the rainbow. Children wonder at the novelty, grandeur, and construction of the figure; but seldom ask a question about it. The common people, who are much abroad in the field, rarely give it a gaze; and never connect a thought with it, but as it may be supposed, by the time of its exhibition, to intimate the state of the weather. And what does the philosopher better? In the pride of science, he

despises the vulgar: but, though able to explain the mediate cause of the phenomenon, he never looks after any thing the Scripture says concerning it. But who is, here, not only a naturalist, but a moralist? And not only a moralist, but a Christian? A Christian in the field, as well as in the temple? making that which is seen and temporal, the means of communion with that which is unseen and eternal?

The rainbow may be viewed three ways. First. Physically. Thus it is, in the sky, a semicircle of va rious colours, which appears in showery weather. It is gendered by the sun-beams on a cloud. When there is a moist and dark cloud opposite the orb of day, and disposed to receive and reflect his rays, the bow is seen; and never without this concurrence.

Secondly. Federally. The first time we read of it in the Book of Genesis, is in this covenant relation. "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." It was in being before. But now it was made a divinely constituted sign, or token. Thus it should lead us to think of the holiness and justice of God, in the destruction of the old world: and also of his forbearance and goodness, in engaging not to destroy it in like manner again; and in affording a sensible assurance of it. The appearance may be, in some measure, viewed as even typical of the event. The bow was early the principal weapon of war; and soon became the emblem of it. David says, "He hath bent his bow, and made ready his arrows upon the string, to shoot at the persecutors." But here is a bow without arrows, and without a string! When a man uses the bow in a hostile manner, the ends are towards himself; and the back is towards

the enemy. But here the bow is reversed-the back is towards heaven; and the ends towards the earth. And therefore if it had arrows upon the string, they must be discharged upwards, not downwardsthe earth is safe, and has nothing to fear from it. If this should be thought more curious than wise; yet the bow thus viewed, if not a type, is a proof and a pledge. It says, the flood is gone-never to return! And here we feel a perfect certainty. However long or violently the rain falls, we are not alarmed. We look to the bow in the cloud; and are sure, that "while the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease." And why do we not feel equally sure, with regard to another interposition?

For thirdly. The bow is to be viewed evangelically. "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed: but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." Here we find God doing, in a nobler case, what he did after the deluge. Here we find him-with a better, an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. And to render the allusion similar, and to afford strong consolation to those who are fleeing for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before them; we have his oath, accompanied with a sign, or token, that should subdue every apprehension? Where? What is it? "Upon the likeness of the throne," says Ezekiel,