others gentle, and the latter are often devoured by the former. Just so is this world, a habitation for both bad and good men: and as Pharaoh's lean and ill favoured kine ate up the well favoured and fat kine, Gen. xli. 3, 4. so those ill-favoured, and hell favoured, eat up these that are the favourites of heaven, Pfal. xiv. 4. and this is permitted by the wife orderer of all things, for the best of reasons: but it shall not always be fo; for the tables shall foon be changed; "Like sheep they are laid in the grave, "death shall feed on them, and the upright "shall have dominion over them in the " morning," Pfal. xlix. 14.

As beafts of the forest come forth in the night to hunt for their prey, but no fooner is the fun up, than they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens, then man goeth to his labour, Pfal. civ. 20---23. and the traveller may proceed on in his journey with fafety: So the wicked, who are compared to lions, Pfal. lvii. 4. harass and devour the righteous in this short mortal life, which is but as a night or a dream of the night, or rather nothing, in comparison of that endless day

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which the righteous shall enjoy in a future ftate.

In that morning, big with the greatest of events, even that decisive morning of the refurrection, when the Sun of righteoufness shall, to the unspeakable joy and comfort of his people, be seen coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glo-ry: then indeed shall the righteous have power over the wicked, and these lions shall be gathered together, and made to lie down in the infernal den of utter darkness, eternal misery and woe. Then will the righteous rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; there being nothing to hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain, Ifa. xi. 9.

What pitiful shrieks are these which I hear! O, I perceive it is a hawk which has feized on a feeble wren, and is bearing it off in his claws, and the poor little creature can do nothing but cry.

Well done, lucky shot! A fowler just now paffing through yonder glade has observed and shot the hawk; and I cannot help be

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ing fomewhat glad at the circumstance; though, poor creature, it was only acting agreeably to the law of nature, yet I could not help feeling very much for the little captive it had feized.

This circumstance puts me in mind, that however much the wicked may opprefs and tyrannize over the people of the Lord, and those that are poor in this world, and tho' these poor oppressed can do nothing but cry; yet their cries shall enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, Jam. v. 4. who will arife for the oppreffion of the poor, and the fighing of the needy, and set them in fafety from their oppreffors, Pfal. xii. 5. for the Lord is the avenger of all such, I Theff. iv. 6.

The wicked may take their time in finning and oppreffing the poor and the needy; but the Lord will take his time in punishing them for their iniquity and cruelty; " Vengeance is mine, I will repay, faith "the Lord," Rom. xii. 19.

CONTEMPLATION ΙΧ.

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ON

BROΟ Κ.

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HIS large brook directly in my way, without either bridge or boat over it, puts me in mind of that recorded Pfal. cx. 7. of which our Lord is faid to drink.

Whatever be the true interpretation of that passage I shall not determine; but one thing is clear, the brook of God's infinite wrath ran in the way of man's salvation, so that none of the fons of Adam could ever have got to heaven: nay, like Jordan, it overflowed all its banks, Jof. iii. 15. and

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