lap,) was lamed, in all its powers, and greatly defiled, yet, blessed be God, through faith, Chrift Jefus, that Physician of value, will heal and purify all again, and fet it down to feaft continually at the King's table above. 2 Sam. iv. 4. and ix. 13. And feeing God hath thus highly diftinguished us from the inferior creatures, not only by reason, but alfo in the use and capacity of all our mental powers, how thankful should we be, and improve them for his honour and glory, for which end we were endowed with them, and after whose image we were made! And, on the other hand, treat with gentleness those inferior creatures, which bear so much of ours. The foul of man, a most active intelligent being, must, of neceffity, according to its effence, always be thinking on fomewhat, and can it be employed in a more reafonable service, or train of thinking, than meditating on the fountain of its being and his wonderful works?

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SPRING-DAY.

CONTEMPLATION I.

On the DAWN of the MORNING.

WHILE drowsy mortals are as yet fupinely fnoring on their couches, fome

it may be struggling in their dreams with fore conflicts, and others exulting in imaginary bliss; let me, this fine morning, stray into the fields, and while I wet my foot with the virgin dews, regale my scent with the balmy odours which the zephyrs breathe from the flowering herbage; the beauties of which are at present obfcured by the darknefs.

Now, in this feafon, of all others best adapted for meditation, may I employ my thoughts on fuitable subjects, and begin with contemplating the goodness of my Maker, in bringing me in safety through the last night, acknowledging, with the prophet, "his mer

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cies are new every morning;" while yonder dappled East declares, that "great is his faithfulness," who hath promised that there shall be day and night while the earth remaineth.

The light now approaches, how feeble are its rays! Yet I know it to be the dawn, for I begin to discover some of the objects around me. How rapid is its motion! like the swift tide which overflows the fand till all is lost in one vast ocean; so prevaileth the light over the darkness, but with incredible more velocity, till night is overwhelmed in the glare of day. "Truly the light is sweet,

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(faith the inspired Solomon,) and a plea"fant thing it is for the eyes to behold the "fun." Eccl. xi. 7. This puts me in mind of the creation of the world, when God faid, "Let there be light, and there was light." Gen. i. 3. Had that omnipotent, infinitely gracious word, not been spoken, how miferable, if at all, had our world been! man would have groped in darkness, and worn out a short life in wretchedness and grief.

But this calls to my memory a still more interesting subject; namely, the fall of man,

THE MORNING.

43.

and the first promise of the Gofpel; when Adam, by his awful apoftacy from the path of rectitude, eternally benighted, not only himself, but all his posterity, in misery and woe: Thus was man in gross darkness, going headlong down to the pit of deftruction, when, lo! a voice was heard which might well aftonish, both heaven and earth, for it was the voice of mercy, the Lord God saying, as it were, Suffer him not to go down to the pit, for I have found a ranfom, Job xxxiii. 24.; when, to the wonder of angels, and the astonishment of men, he said in effect, as he faid with respect to the natural world, "Let there be light."

When he gave that infinitely gracious, unspeakably precious promife, that the feed of the woman should bruise the head of the ferpent, Gen. iii. 15. this no doubt furprised Adam with joy inexpressible, and enkindled fuch a flame of gratitude in his foul, as eternity itself shall never be able to extinguish.

This first promise of the gospel, like the natural dawn, unfolded itself still more and more, through all the Old-Teftament difpen

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fation, until at length it shined in the perfect day in the new.

When Chrift Jesus, the Sun of righteoufnefs, arose with healing in his wings, and fhone on our earth, in a body of flesh, for about the space of thirty-three years; though, indeed, he had no form nor comeliness in the eyes of those who were still in a natural state, how falutary were his beams to those who believed in his name. He, to the apprehenfion of his enemies, finally fet on the cross, when he yielded up the ghoft: while the fun in the firmament hid his face with a fable covering, as ashamed to behold his Creator's fufferings; and the vail of the temple rent in twain from top to bottom; to shew that the way to the holiest of all was then made clear, and the shadows of the morning, viz. the types and ceremonies of the Mofaical difpenfation, terminated in the great antitype Christ Jefus, the Sun of righteousness; who, to the unspeakable joy of his people, but terror of his enemies, quickly arose from death, behind which cloud his humanity had fet, for a very short time, ushering in the broad day of the everlasting gofpel, to shine with additional fplendor