ested in him whom the Father has given for a covenant to the people, whether the ark be floating on the waters, or set down on the stable mountain's top; but there is a difference between fluctuating on the waters of adversity, and sitting down on the mountains of bliss, in the presence of Jehovah and the Lamb.

Again, as their safety was secured, and their provision plenteous in the ark of old; so, in the NewTestament ark, we are secure, being hidden in him who sits on the floods, and governs in the storms, and who will never let the deluge overthrow his own, but cause them to swim safely amongst the rending billows, and walk securely, as Israel of old, amidst devouring deeps. And our provision is not only plenteous and profuse, but spiritual and divine.

Besides, in this ark, by the eye of faith, even while the deluge is not wholly gone, we get, which Noah could not boast of, reviving views of the tops of the eternal mountains, and gladdening glances of the heights of glory.

Again, when the flood of wrath shall be at the highest with all the wicked world, our ark shall sit down on the celestial Ararat. Then, as Noah sacrificed to God when he was gone forth of the ark, which he could not do while in it; so, in that triumphant state of glory, we shall worship him in a manner to which we never could attain in the militant state; and, to our eternal joy, shall look up and see the " rainbow about the throne," in its most beauteous colours, showing, as it shines, that the flood of divine wrath, which once pursued the human race to swallow up all who had not fled to the sacred ark for safety, shall never return again to swallow up the ransomed nations. Then, dwelling in that land where "there is

no more sea," we shall walk at liberty, enjoying beatitudes unlimited as our thought, and extensive as conception itself; and through the unnumbered years of his right hand, we shall proclaim the compassion, and dwell upon the love of him who was himself our divine, our glorious ark, that bare us above the waves of vengeance (though, to perform that kind of office, he himself for a while was carried" into deep waters, where the floods overflowed him") and brought us into his presence, where rivers of pleasures flow for evermore.

WE

MEDITATION CXIX.

ACQUAINTANCE.

Spithead, Sept. 25, 1759.

E are fond of contracting acquaintance with great and famous men, and sometimes lament the death of some before we were born, and our distance from others while we live. What pleasure would it afford me, had I known the first worthies of the world! To have had an hour's company and conversation with the first man, the father of us all; to have been acquainted with the divine Enoch, who was wafted deathless to glory; with Noah, the preacher of righteousness; with Abraham, the father of the faithful! with Moses, the man of God; with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of one and the same promise; with the deeply-depressed, and highly-advanced Joseph; with Elijah and Elisha; with Samuel, David, and Solomon; in a word, with all the prophets, apostles, evangelists, and martyrs, and all the New-Testament

worthies down to the present times: I say, to have been acquainted with all these great men, what secret pleasure would it afford! What instruction from their conversation, and what joy to behold so many sparkling graces in each of them! But this is what can never happen; yet there is one thought that abundantly supplies the loss, That all those who are united in the living Head shall meet together in the general assembly and church of the first-born.

There shall I see Adam, not in that melting anguish. he sustained when driven out of the terrestrial paradise, but with a fulness of joy proper to one entered into the heavenly paradise for eternity: There shall I see Enoch walking in very deed with God, and enjoying eternally and uninterruptedly that communion he delighted in below: There shall I see Noah, not preaching to an inattentive world, but praising in concert with all those that in the ark of the covenant were saved from the flood of wrath that swept away the wicked: There shall I see Abraham, not travelling to the mountains of Moriah to offer up his son, but dwelling in the mount of God to offer up his song, his sacrifice of praise, possessed of greater glory, and more noble blessings, than even his strongest faith ever could expect: There shall I see Isaac and Jacob, not sojourning in a strange land, but dwelling in Immanuel's land, without any more removing to and fro: There shall I see Joseph, not in that anguish of spirit he was in when sold for a slave, but in a nobler condition than when governor over Egypt: There shall I see Moses, not struggling with a rebellious Israel in an howling wilderness, but triumphing with the true Israel, in whom iniquity is not beheld, and entered on the possession

of the heavenly Canaan for eternity: There shall I see, also, Samuel the reformer, David the upright, and Solomon the wise, with all the prophets and apostles, the evangelists and martyrs, shining with additional lustre, and inconceivable glory. Yea, not one of all the saints of God, though the names of thousands of them were never heard of in the world, but I shall be acquainted with, and know all about them that can set forth the glory of God, and the praises of redeeming love. I shall know who and what they were in the world, whence they came, and what they suffered for his name's sake.

Had I been acquainted with them in their imperfect state, either corruption in them might have restrained my regard toward them, or corruption in me might have deadened my affection for them; but my acquaintance with them shall be when they and I also have put off all corruption, and are spotless as the angels of light. How is it, then, that I have concluded all the worthies of the old world as gone from me for ever, when, in a little, I shall come into their company, into their assembly, to depart no more? Further, what will sweeten ail, is, that my acquaintance with them shall be in and through Christ, in whom all his saints are one; and my delight in them will spring from their resemblance to Christ, and rise according to the degree of that. Then, like so many stars, they shall reflect the glory of the Sun of Righteousness; and he that reflects most glory shall be the the brightest star. Besides, as the Lamb is the light of the holy city, so he shall be the fulness of the higher house, replenishing all the inhabitants, who shall have Christ in them, once "the hope," but then the harvest "of glory," and with

C C

them as such shall I be acquainted. Hence shall Christ be to every one all in all, even in their delight in, and acquaintance with, one another; because, loving him that begets, supremely and eternally, they cannot but love them that are begotten after the same divine likeness.

What a friendly office, then (though to the greater.. part unwelcome) does death, in the hand of Christ perform to his chosen, in convening the saints together from remotest corners, scattered kingdoms, and distant ages, and, with a smiling countenance, ushering them, not only into the presence of one another, but into the presence of their Lord!

On the other hand, how miserable must the wicked be, whose acquaintance with the great, of which they are now so proud, at the hour of death shall cease for ever! for beings in torment can be no entertaining company to one other, but, by being once companions in sin, shall mutually screw up their horror, and whet their anguish for ever.

WOULD

MEDITATION CXX.

AN ARGUMENT.

In harbour, Oct. 3, 1759.

OULD a man of any spirit be cast down for an extremity of distress, enduring but for a day, if assured that his whole after-life should be felicity and peace? Though for this short time he were hungry, thirsty, naked, imprisoned, reproached, reviled, envied, hated, contemned, ridiculed by flatterers, abandoned by friends, insulted by foes, and made the gaz