consuming fire can as well melt the hardest metal as the softest wax. What is the reason why men in sore extremities make strong resolutions, and vow much repentance and amendment of life, and yet as soon as they are off from the rack, return again to their vomit, and wallow in their wonted lusts, but because their sense made them feel that then, which if they had faith they might still perceive and so still continue in the same good resolutions, namely, that God's hand was near unto them? But what, is not God a God far off as well as near at hand? Jer. xxiii. 23. Doth not he say of wicked men, that in the fulness of their sufficiency they shall be in straits! Cannot he blast the corn in the blade, in the harvest, in the barn, in the very mouth of the wicked? Did he not cut off Belshazzar in his cups, and Herod in his robes, and Babylon and Tyrus in their pride, and Haman in his favour, and Jezebel in her paint? Have but faith enough to say, I am a man, and therefore no human events should be strange unto me; and even that one consideration may keep a man from outrage of sinning. It may be I have abundance of earthly things, yet am I still but a gilded potsherd. It may be I have excellent endowments, but I have them all in an earthen vessel. And shall the potsherd strive with the potter, and provoke him that made it? This would teach us to fear and tremble at God's power. Though we look upon death and judgment as afar off, yet God can make them near when He will; for he hath said, that the damnation of wicked men is swift, and

that they are near unto cursing. His judgments are like lightning, and have wings suddenly to overtake a sinner. He requires but a month, nay, but a morning, nay but a moment, to consume his enemies, and bring desolation upon those who said they should sit as a lady for ever, and did never remember the latter end. "Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged," namely, by the patience and permission of God, in whose hands his days are, "yet it shall be well with them that fear God." Eccl. viii. 12-13.-REY

NOLDS.

And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, &c. See Matthew vi. 19-34, and the Commentary.

HYMN,

O happy soul that lives on high While men lie groveling here, Whose hopes are fix'd above the sky, And faith forbids his fear.

His conscience cleans'd from all his sins,
Love, peace, and joy combine
To form a life whose holy springs
Are hidden and divine.

No earthly wealth, nor joy, nor throne, Is his ambition here;

Content and pleas'd to live unknown Till Christ his life appear.

He looks to heaven's eternal hill
To meet that glorious day;
But patient waits his Saviour's will
To fetch his soul away.

WATTS.

$ CXCVII.

CHAP. XII. 35-48.

We must be ready at a knock to open to our Lord whensoever he cometh. Christ's ministers are to see to their charge.

y

35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he sball gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think

not.

41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

C

42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his houshold, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

43 Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming: and shall begin to beat the men-servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

g

48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given of him

shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the

more.

Eph. vi. 14. 1 Pet. i. 13.-y Mat. xxv. i. &c.-z Mat. xxiv. 46.-a Mat. xxiv. 43. 1 Thes. v. ii. 2 Pet.

iii. 10. Rev. ill. 3; & xvi. 15.

Mat. xxiv. 44; xxv. 13.

Mark xiii. 33. ch. xxi. 34, 36. 1 Thes. v. 6. 2 Peter iii. 12. c Mat. xxiv. 45; & xxv. 21. 1 Cor. iv. 2.-d Mat.

xxiv. 47.-e Mat. xxiv. 48.- Or, cut him off. Mat. xxiv.

51.- Num. xv. 30. Deut. xxv. 2. John ix. 41 ; & xv. 22. Acts xvii. 30. James iv. 17.—g Lev. v. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 13.

See §§ LXXVIII. LXXIX.

Matthew XXIV. 34-51.

and XXV. 1—13.

§ CXCVIII.

CHAP XII. 49-59.

Christ's ministers are to look for persecution. The people must take this time of grace, because it is a fearful thing to die without reconciliation.

49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I 'straitened till it be accomplished!

51 Suppose ye that that I am am come to give peace on the earth? I tell you, Nay; 'but rather division:

52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

54 the people, "When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

And he said also to

55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

58 ¶ When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence till thou hast paid the very last mite.

A ver. 51.- Mat. xx. 22. Mark x. 38.- Or, pained. - Mat. x. 34, ver. 49.- Mic. vii. 6. John vii. 43; & ix. 8. Mat. v. 25.-p See Ps. xxxii. 6. Is. lv. 6.- See Mark xil. 42.

Christ preacheth repentance upon the punishment of the Galileans, and others. The fruitless fig tree may not stand.

THERE were present at that season some that told him of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

that

2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were "sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

a

6 ¶ He spake also this parable; "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

9 And if it bear fruit, well : and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Or, debtors. Mat. xviii. 24. ch. xi. 4.—a Is. v. 2. Mat. xxi. 19.

READER.-Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the

Galilæans because they suffered such things.-Though it were an error to tended of God as punishments of think that all temporal evils are insome particular guiltiness, and so to be taken as infallibly concluding against either persons or causes as evil; yet certainly the hand of God upon ourselves or others is wisely to be considered, and it will very often the sin; and it is certainly an argube found a punishment pointing to ment of very great stiffness and pride of heart, not to observe and acknowledge it, and a sure presage either of

the nations of the world seek after and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

the

31 But rather seek ye kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 'Sell that ye have, and give alms; "provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth neither moth corrupteth.

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. i John xviii. 36.—k 1 Tim. vi. 7, &c.—l Eccles. xi. 9. Ecclus. xi. 19. 1 Cor. xv. 32. James v. 5.- Or, do they

require thy soul.-m Job xx. 22; & xxvii. 8. Ps. lli. 7. Jam. iv. 14.-n Ps. xxxix 6. Jer. xvii. 11.-o Mat. vi. 20 ver. 33. 1 Tim. vi. 18, 19. James ii. 5-p Mat. vi. 25.9 Job xxxviii. 41. Ps. clxvii. 9.-| Or, live not in careful suspense.-r Mat. vi. 33-8 Mat. xi. 25, 26- Mat. xix. 21. Acts ii. 45; & iv. 34.-u Mat. vi. 20. ch. xvi. 9. I Tim. vi. 19.

READER. He said unto them, Take heed and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. -Are you Christians? Then let me tell you, you are sons and daughters of the eternal God, the only monarch of the whole world, and so are heirs apparent to the crown of glory. Tell me then, what an unseemly sight would it be to see a prince doting upon a beggar, and robes enamoured with rags! How much more is it unseemly for you, who have nothing less than heaven entailed upon you, to be doting upon the beggarly vanities of this lower world! which certainly all true

Christians should look upon as below their concern, carrying themselves as becometh those who expect, ere long, to solace themselves in the enjoyment of God himself. While David looked to his father's sheep, he carried himself as a shepherd; but when he had mounted the throne, majesty presently sat in his brows, and he behaved himself like a king. So you, although whilst you lived in your sins, and so were strangers unto God, you then lived like earthly creatures, conversing with nothing but dust and clay; yet, now that you profess to have repented, and to believe in Christ, and so to be entitled to the kingdom of heaven, you should live like yourselves, and scorn to stoop so low as to lick up the serpent's food; deporting yourselves as those who every moment look to be sent for, to go and take possession of your celestial crown. The very thought whereof should make you disdain the highest enjoyments that this world is able to afford you, as things not worthy to be compared with the glory that Christ hath procured for you. So that, let me tell you, so long as your thoughts and af fections are taken up with any thing upon earth, you act below yourselves. You who expect ere long to bathe yourselves in those rivers of pleasure which are at God's right hand for evermore, can it become you to drown yourselves in a deluge of carnal pleasures and sensual delights? You that have such a plenty of bread and heavenly manna in your father's house; is it not below you to feed like the prodigal upon the husks, with