Is this globe of light and ball of fire, so amazingly majestic, that heathen nations have given him divine honour as a God? then how incomprehensibly great, how ineffably glorious must Jehovah be, whose bare word spake such a beauty into being! and is my eternal noon to be by the brightness of his presence, the emanations of his love, and the glory of his power? yea, is even Jehovah himself to be my light and day, my life and bliss, my portion and song? what then, though some few dark nights intervene, since this day is on the wing, when my views shall all be bright, because in his light I shall see light clearly? O these transporting, these transforming views, that shall for ever entertain every enquiring, enlarged faculty of soul; Henceforth let my soul dwell by faith in endless noon, till over all my shades this endless noon prevail.

MEDITATION CX.

UNDER THE MERIDIAN, THE SUN AND MOON HIGH.

N. Latitude 5o. 35'. April 19, 1761.

WHEN the starry heavens engaged my attention in the northern climes, many of their bright inhabitants, and the moon herself, seemed low to me; but here, under the meridian, not only the sun but the moon in her proper hour possesses the summit of the sky, and the bright beauties which seemed to be in some depressed station, partake in the same exaitation. Now, is not this a lively picture of that happy and triumphant state that the militant church shall be exalted to at last? Christ is ascended up on high, not for himself (for as God he is over all blessed for ever) but as our representative,and in our name, that where he is,there

we may be also; and as his Father has a seat on his throne for his beloved Son, so has the Son promised that such as overcome shall sit with him in his throne ; yea, every saint shall partake of his Redeemer's glory, for if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him; and if we confess him, before an abandoned world, he will also confess us before assembled men and angels.

Then, although the moon suffer an eclipse, it is not to be thought that a planet is destroyed, for she shall yet reflect many a bright beam, and, to some parts of the world, run in an elevated orbit; so it is with saints in particular, and the church in general, they may be both low and little in the account of carnal men, but they are not the less noble in themselves, nor of smaller account with God. The certainty of this exalted state may well support us under the deepest abasements, for because he lives, we shall live also, and every member shall rejoice with his glorified Head. What though the saints now suffer under diversified trials, like the inhabitants of the frozen north, who have only a peep of day through the whole winter, but are harassed with one burst of tempests, one covering of snow, and one field of ice; since they may look a little forward, and see themselves placed in these happy regions where their divine Sun sheds eternal noon, and makes them shine forth as stars in the kingdom of their Father!

MEDITATION CXI.

A SQUALL OF RAIN, LIGHTNING, AND THUNDER.

April 20, 1761.

THE other day, when the meridian sun brightened a cloudless sky with amazing effulgence, and all round about was light and beauty, I did not dream that such a tremendous night would so soon ensue. The winds blowing with amazing vigor, the disquieted ocean roaring beneath, the glaring lightnings flashing over the whole heaven, the broken clouds pouring out floods of water, and the rolling thunders echoing the majesty of the Eternal, through the conscious void, make up the awful scene. So trouble and disappointment will often break in on the most beautiful prospect of sublunary felicity, and raise a hurricane amidst the most perfect calm. Hence, we should learn, amidst the possession or expectation of any created bliss, or temporal good, to hold all we have or hope for, at the kind hand of the Sovereign Disposer of all things, of whose conduct none of his saints could ever yet complain.

Again, if the least contest among the elements, produce such dreadful effects, how terrible must the state of sinners be, who wage eternal war with heaven, and shall have the arrows of the Almighty within them, the poison whereof drinketh up their soul!

No place or latitude can at times boast of so delightful a day, but at other times no place undergoes a more dismal night; so let churches in general, and saints in particular, stand in awe to sin, and beware of presum ing on their privileges, saying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these; and, We have Abras

B b

ham to our father; for of all people none are more severely punished than those that he has made approach nearest to him: "You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I punish you for all your sins." Capernaum, that was lift up to heaven, is threatened to be thrust down to hell, for abusing these singular blessings; and Jerusalem, the beloved city, whither resorted the chosen tribes,where stood the holy temple, and where God was served, and manifested his glorious presence, yet for her sins, oftener than once had it done to her as it had not been done under the whole heaven.

Woe, then, a triple woe, to the poor apostate, who has once tasted of the good word of God, and has been made partaker of the Holy Ghost, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and the powers of the world to come, when he falls from God, and falls into his hands as an offended, angry, and avenging judge! Oh! with what care should he that thinks he stands, look to his ways, that he may never fall!

This heavy rain reminds me of the deluge; the fire and thunder, of Sodom's overthrow. The first shews me how the old world perished, the last how this world shall be destroyed. The bellowing wind proclaims shipwreck to the sailor, and the sudden squall bids me be always ready for the worst event, and the whole scene summed up together, preaches to me the goodness, the power, and providence of God.

MEDITATION CXII.

EMULATION.

S. Latitude 16°. W. Longitude 26°. May 10, 1761.

The holy man took it

IT was a saying of Moses, the man of God, when one told him that two men prophesied in the camp, "Enviest thou for my sake? would to God all the Lord's people were prophets." not amiss that others had of the same spirit he had, to perform the same functions,and shine in the same character. What a shame is it, then, that the saints and sons of God should envy one another for the excellencies oftheir gifts and graces! IfGod be greatly glorified by any, should I be greatly displeased that it is not by me? shall I contend with God about his distribution of blessings, and begrudge his liberality to any more than myself? Does one minister darken another in preaching, or one saint excel another in prayer? who of Christ's servants can be darkened iftheir Master shine? or who of his saints will not bless him for his goodness to others as well as to themselves?

It is as base to be peevish because of the excellencies of others, as to be proud of our own. Our great, our universal struggle should be to set up God on high, and our great joy should be to see him set on high, whoever be the happy instrument. Ah, how base to

listen to, or lust

bow the ear to vulgar applause, and after, empty fame! In the natural body, is the one hand affronted that the other hand wears the signet or the ring? and among David's worthies, were the thirty chagrined that they did not attain to the first three? then why should saints and the servants of God, envy for one another's sake! Surely, it is rare to have sin