If then every thing be beautiful in its season, and we are pleased to fee these birds of passage in this joyous time of the year again revisit our land, how incomparably more delightful is it to fee in the springtime of childhood and youth, men coming to, and attending on the ordinances of the gospel, improving the precious seasons of grace!

The swallow, as it were knowing that her stay in this island must not be long, is willing to make the most of her time, so skims the air with active wing in pursuit of her food, and performs the other functions, for which the came, with alacrity: And shall man, who was sent into this world for business of an infinitely greater importance, trifle away in indolence his short time, and neglect the things that belong to his everlasting peace?

The fwallow chiefly pursues and lives upon food which it gathers in the ærial heaven; fuch as the beetle and gnat; and if at any time she is forced to peck from the earth, it is more through necessity than choice: so every believer mainly seeks after celestial things; spiritual and heavenly enjoyments are these in which he chiefly delights, and these alone are the food of his foul, though through neceffity he is obliged in part to care for the things of this life.

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When this bird is observed to fly near the earth in pursuit of infects, it is accounted a fign of dark and rainy weather, but on the contrary when pursuing them high in the air, it is an indication of fettled and clear. Just so when a believer beginneth to set his affection on things of the earth, and delighteth in carnal enjoyments; it is a token that heavy clouds of darkness, and showers of afflictions and croffes, will inevitably ensue: whereas, on the other hand, when he fetteth his affections on things bove, not on things on the earth, Col. iii. 2. it evidences to himself, and all who know his frame, that his sky is clear, and shall brighten more and more, till at length he shall enjoy a perfect ferenity above.

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The swallow seems to delight in the fociety of man, by its building and hatching about his habitation, on the chimnies of

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houses, and often in churches. For this last privilege, the royal Pfalmist, when in a state of exile from the public ordinances, feemeth to envy this bird in being allowed to rear its neft, and hatch about, or near the altar of the Lord, saying, "How amia" ble are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! " my foul longeth, yea, even fainteth for "the courts of the Lord; my heart and my " flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, "the sparrow hath found an house, and "the swallow a neft for herself, where she "may lay her young; even thine altars, O "Lord of hofts, my king and my God," Pfal. lxxxiv. 1---3. But blessed be the Lord, we in this land, in this age, have no reason to envy the fwallow in this, for we have perfect liberty to wait upon God in his ordinances, even publicly in his house of prayer, none externally to make us afraid.

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Such was not the cafe with many of our fathers: yet, alas! we their children make but an ill improvement of these privileges, for we either too often neglect the public worship of God altogether, or go to the ordinances to rear up a shelter for ourselves, even that of our own righteousness, which is no better than the mud and straw with which the fwallow builds her neft, and which is eafily swept down; valuing ourselves upon our punctuality in attending the ordinances, and observing the letter of the law; and fo in our nest of performances hatch felf-conceit, imagining we are good Christians, all will be well with us. But fuch a fabric will only deceive those who trust therein, and both them and it be swept away at last.

- 'It is only they who build on the rock Christ, and take shelter alone in his righteousness, that shall be saved. Every true believer therefore goeth to the ordinances, not fo much for the institutions themselves, as to meet and hold communion with the God of ordinances in them.

The fwallow, it is faid, by means of the herb celandine, or fwallow-wort, opens the eyes of her young ones, and brings them to fight: However this be, O that parents among men would use the means which God hath put in their power, for opening the spiritual eyes of their tender offspring, to fee their loft and undone state by nature,

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and that there is no salvation any where else, but in Christ; and would pray often to him to anoint their young eyes with eyesalve, that they may see, Rev. iii. 18. The want of this care among parents is no doubt the reason of fo many blind, ignorant youths in our day.

The fwallow teaches her young ones to take food in the air, in this manner: while they are playing near where the dam is hawking for flies, and the latter has caught a mouthful, by a signal given by the parent, the young one and she advances towards each other, and meets at an angle, when the old one imparts what it has taken into the mouth of its offspring, which all the time it is receiving it, utters a small twittering note of gratitude.

O that parents of the human kind, would learn from this instance what duty they owe to their tender progeny, even that of accuftoming them early to attend on the public ordinances of the gospel, by bringing them there, to get spiritual food for their fouls, and taking pains to impart unto them Christian knowledge. For fuch a