EARLY IMPRESSIONS.

Children are very early capable of impressions. I imprinted on my daughter the idea of Faith, at a very early age. She was playing one day with a few beads, which seemed to delight her wonderfully. Her whole soul was absorbed in her beads. I said, 'My dear, you have some pretty beads there.' 'Yes, Papa! And you seem to be vastly pleased with them.' 'Yes, Papa! Well now, throw them behind the fire. The tears started into her eyes: she looked earnestly at me, and thought she ought to have a reason for such a cruel sacrifice. • Well my dear, do as you please; but you know I never told you to do any thing which I did not think would be good for you.' She looked at me a few moments longer, and then summoning up all her fortitudeher breast heaving with the effort-she dashed them into the fire. • 6 Well,' said I, there let them lie: you shall hear more about them say no more about them now.' bought her a box full of larger beads, and toys of the same kind. When I returned home, I opened the treasure and set it before her: she burst into tears with ecstasy. Those, my child,' said I, 'are yours; because you believed me when I told you it would be better for you to throw those two or three paltry beads behind the fire. Now that has brought you this treasure. But now, my dear, remember as long as you live what Faith is. I did all this to teach you the meaning of Faith. You threw your beads. away when I bid you, because you had faith in me

another time; but Some days after, I

that I never advised you but for your good. Put the same confidence in God. Believe every thing that he says in his word. Whether you understand it or not, have faith in him that he means your good.'Cecil.

DAVID'S HARP. THE 116 PSALM, WITH A FRUITFUL EXPOSITION AND GODLY DECLARATION OF THE SAME.-BECON.

THE EIGHTH STRING.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." Verse 15.

This song of our minstrel David must needs be very pleasant and delectable to the hearers, seeing that he singeth all things in such a godly and goodly order, and setteth every thing in his right place. For after that he hath made mention of paying his vows unto the Lord, which is to do all things according to the commandment of God, and not after the fancy of carnal reason, nor the judgments of the wise world

lings; whereof is like to ensue, as we have heard before, much trouble, yea very death, (for the world cannot abide to be rebuked, nor to have his pomp, pride, pleasures, glory, honour, hypocrisy, superstition, feigned holiness, pharisaical justice, glistering righteousness, doting invention, fleshly imaginations, good intents, &c. to be reproved, yea and condemned by the word of God;) he now declareth what a dear and precious thing the death of saints, that is to say of the faithful, is in the sight of the Lord, be it accounted before the world of never so great ignominy, despite, reproach, and shame. And this doth he to encourage men to pay their vows unto the Lord, that is to say, to be earnest in the word of God, to seek the promotion of his glory, and to walk innocently before the eyes of his divine Majesty, though all the world, yea very hell, should be wild and rise up against us. "Precious, (saith he,) in the sight of

the Lord is the death of his saints."

It is to be noted, that he calleth not the death of the wicked precious in the sight of the Lord, but the death of saints, yea, and that not popish, but God's saints. "Precious, (saith he,) in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

As for the wicked, so long as they live in this world, they live more to their heart's ease, and have all things more plenteously at their own pleasure concerning temporal matters than the true Christian men and faithful saints of God have; insomuch that, as we read in divers places of the holy Scriptures, the godly many times complain unto God of the prosperous estate of the wicked, and seem almost to

accuse God of unrighteousness, seeing the enemies of God prosper so well, and have good luck in all things, and they again which most entirely favour God's word and seek his glory, are most miserably oppressed, slandered, persecuted, imprisoned, and ready to be slain at all hours.

For, as the psalmograph saith, "The ungodly hath the overhand and the poor is brent. The sinner is praised in following the lusts of his heart, and the wicked is blessed and made much of." "My feet were almost gone," saith David, "my treadings had nigh slipped. For I was sore grieved at the wicked to see the ungodly in such prosperity. For they are in no peril of death, but stand fast like a palace. They come in no misfortune like other folk, neither are they plagued like other men. And this is the cause that they are so puffed in pride, and overwhelmed with cruelty and unrighteousness. Their eyes swell for fatness, they do even what they list. corrupt are they, and speak blasphemies maliciously: proud and presumptuous are their words. They stretch forth their mouth unto heaven, and their tongue goeth through the world; therefore the people fall unto them, and thereout suck they no small advantage. Tush, say they, how shall God perceive it? is there knowledge in the Most Highest? Lo, these are the ungodly, these prosper in the world; these have riches in possession." These have sons that grow up as young plants. These have minion and trim daughters, garnished round about even like unto a gorgeous temple. These have their garners full and plenteous with all manner of store. These have

sheep that bring forth thousands and hundred thousands in their pastures and fields. These have fat oxen that are strong to labour. To be short, these have no mischance, no decay, no trouble, no noise, no complaining in their streets that should grieve them.

Jeremy also saith, "O Lord, thou art more righteous than that I should dispute with thee; nevertheless let me talk with thee in things reasonable. How happeneth it that the way of the ungodly is so prosperous, and that it goeth so well with them which without any shame offend and live in wickedness? Thou plantest them: they take root, they grow, and bring forth fruit." They boast much of thee, yet dost thou not punish them.

Thus see we how the ungodly, like fat beasts, wallow and tumble themselves in all kind of pleasures, neither want they any thing in this world that their hearts can desire, yea they have more prosperity than they can away withal; yet are the godly and saints of the Lord oppressed with all misery, leading a life in great calamity and wretchedness, more than any creatures in the world. But yet behold the end of the wicked; for "suddenly they do consume, perish, and come to nought."

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The psalmograph saith, "The death of the wicked sinners is very evil." Again, The unrighteous man shall receive his plagues and punishments when he dieth.

But let us behold these things in a pure mirror, by rehearsing certain histories. How triumphed the wicked king Pharaoh upon the Israelites, God's