SINGING OF A LARK.

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wrath of God ready to fall on his guilty head, flies to the man Christ Jefus, who is

as a hiding place from the wind, and a co

vert from the tempeft," Ifa. xxxii. 2. the only refuge.

Ungrateful man, through an unfeeling heart and wanton cruelty, may give up the innocent bird to the will of its enemy; but will the compaffionate Jesus ever give up to vengeance the foul who hath fled to him for refuge? No: for he hath faid, "Him

that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft out," John vi. 37; and, "whosoever be"lieveth on him shall not be ashamed," Rom. ix. 33.; and, "Can a woman forget "her fucking child, that she should not

have compaffion on the fon of her womb; yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Ifa. xlix. 15.

Chrift, in effect, faith to fuch a foul, what David once faid to Abiathar, when he fled to him from the fword of his enemy, "With

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me thou shalt be in fafe-guard." I Sam. xxii. 23.

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CONTEMPLATION III.

On a SHEEP-FOLD.

UPON the fide of yonder green hill

stands a fheep-fold, the bleatings of its fleecy inhabitants are highly grateful to my ear; and no less so do they appear to be to their watchful shepherd, who, for as early as it is, I behold, with chearful alacrity, mounting the hill, directly towards the fold. He calls to them in a familiar tone; and they seem to know his voice, for their bleatings, grow more clamorous.

Now he opens the fold-door, and they usher out all over the dewy pafture. There let me a while leave him with his fleecy charge, and take a view of the Church, which is, in Scripture, compared to a fheepfold, John x. 16.; and of her Head, who

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hath taken to himself the amiable name and character of a Shepherd, Pfal. xxiii. 1. John x. 14.

The church, as it were, is fet upon a hill, exposed to the view of all her enemies; but the Lord, her shepherd, is a wall of fire round about her, and the glory in the midst thereof, Zech. ii. 5. so that no weapon that is formed against her, in the main, ever hath been, or shall be able to profper, Ifa. liv. 17.

The shepherd of that fold, I was just now noticing, is a watchful shepherd; but in this respect our Lord excels all other shepherds, for he not only attends to the wants of his people early, but he keeps them night and day, lest any hurt them; nay, watches over them every moment, Ifa. xxvii. 3. He that keepeth Ifrael slumbereth not nor fleepeth, Pfal. cxxi. 4. their groans, cries, and prayers, are sweet bleatings in his ears, and to them he attends early in every time of need; for he knows their voice, and they know his, John x. 4. 14. whether he speaks to them in his promises or threatenings.

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