Devotional exercises :

DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES,

CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF

FAMILIES ON THE SABBATH,-

AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES,
VAHTIXG EXPRESSIOXS AS OCCASION AND CIRCUMSTANCES JElEaUIRE.

SELECTED PARTLY FROM THE EPISCOPAL SERVICE.

ALSO AN

ADDRESS, BY THE MINISTERS ON PISCATAQUA RIVER,

RECOMMENDING FORMS IN WORSHIP. AND FROM

SUNDRY PUBLIC PAPERS, THE PROPRIETY OF

KEEPING THE ADVENT OF CHRIST.

LIKEWISE,

A SERIOUS ADDRESS TO THE SPECTATORS ON THE

EXECUTION OF THE PIRATES,

FEB. 18, 1819.

TO WHICH IS ADDED

MEDITATIONS

SELECTED FROM THE WORKS OF THE REV. JOHN FLAVEL,

HUSBANDRY AND NAVIGATION SPIRITUALIZED WITH ABRIDGMENTS

AND VARIATIONS. AND LIKEWISE PRAYERS ON THE

VARIOUS SEASONS OF THE YEAR, SELECTED

FROM THE CHRISTIAN MONITOR.

ALSO

A SHORT ABRIDGMENT OF THE BOOK OF JOB ;

WITH POETRY ON THE SUBJECT, BY THOMAS SCOTT : WITH
VARIATIONS AND ABRIDGMENTS.

BOSTON, 1820.

EXTRACTS.

Prayer (says Marival) may be considered
as the root from whence all religious and
moral duties derive their nourishment ; and
those, who do not pray, can have no religion.
It does not invalidate this assertion to say,
that then great numbers have no religion. Ho
much more the pity. They may have some
virtue, be moral and useful members of society ;
but what idea can be formed of religion with-
out prayer ? " It is impossible,'^ says Mr.
Orton, " that a man can be good who neglects
prayer ; and next to impossible, that he should
ever become so. The neglect of prayer shews,
that he has no right notions of God, no sense
of his presence, no hearty desires of his mer-
cy^ no solid hopes of his favour. It is much
to be wished, therefore, that those, who have
hitherto neglected daily to remember God in
prayer, would firmly resolve no longer to ne-
glect so important a duty ; and the only sure
way to keep up devotion, both in secret, and
in a family, is to fix for that end the most con-
venient time of the day, and resolutely to ob-
serve it/' " When the times of prayer are
i

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thus settled/' says Bishop Gibson, ^' it will be
accounted a part of the business of the day ;
and as the neglect of it occasions an habitual
forgetfulness of God, and the things of another
life, so the daily practice of it (if it is not suf-
fered to dwindle into a mere lifeless form)
keeps up in families a face and spirit of re-
ligion, and is the best means that fathers and
mothers, masters and mistresses can use, to
preserve in themselves, their children and ser-
vants, such a religious and heavenly frame of
mind as becomes a society of christians. The
daily exercise of devotion keeps the soul in
an habitual preparation to move towards heav-
en ; and by this exercise the thoughts are
more easily withdrawn from our worldly cares
and diversions, and more readily framed to
attend the work at the proper seasons of de-
votion, whether in public, or in private/'

EXTRACT.

Blessing obtained on reading religious books —

exemplified in the first volume of Mr. FlaveVs works^
related by Mr* Boulter^ a Bookseller in London*

A HIGH flashy gentleman came to Mr.
B's shop, to enquire for some play-books ;
Mr. B. told him he had none of the kind, but
handed him Mr. FlaveFs little treatise of
Keeping the Heart, requested he would read
it, and assured him it would perhaps do him
more good than play-books. The gentleman
read the title, and glancing upon several pages,
broke out in these, and other expressions.
What a damn'd old fanatic was he who wrote
this book ? Mr. B. advised him to buy and
read it, and not censure it so bitterly ; at
length he bought it ; but observed he would
not read it. What will you do with it, replied
Mr. B. ? do with it, I will commit it to the
flames, and send it to the Devil. Mr. B. then
told him he should not have it. He however,
^with an air of indifference,) promised to read
it. Mr. B. again observed, if he disliked it
upon reading, the money should be returned
to him. About a month after, the gentleman
came to Mr. B's shop in a very modest habit
and deportment, with a serious countenance ;
addressed Mr. B. Sir, I most heartily thank
you for putting this book into my hands : I
bless God who moved you to do it, it has been
the means of saving my precious soul ; blessed
be God that ever I came into your shop, and
other expressions in praising and admiring the
goodness of God. — -He then purchased one
hundred more of those books, for the benefit of
the poor, who eould uot buy them.

8

'**
Use of forms in ivovsliiy^ recommended by the^

ministers in iht Tozons and Parishes on Piscutaqua
River.

Dear Friends,

With sensible concern we observe the de-
clining state of practical religion, the preva-
lence of error, vice and infidelity, and the
consequent neglect of the duties of piety, jus-
tice, mercy and truth. And it is not the least
cause of our concern, that there are many in
our respective towns and parishes, who live in
the habitual neglect of family prayer, and in-
struction, notwithstanding their solemn en-
gagements to God in the holy ordinance of
baptism to their children, that they would in-
struct them in the knowledge of true religion,
and inculcate upon them, by their precepts and
example, their duty to fear, serve, and glorify
their Creator.

The common plea that many serious persons
make, respecting their neglect of family prayer,
is, their want of resolution, and a suflBcient ac-
quaintance with language to address the infinite
majesty of heaven before their families in ex-
pressions suitable to the solemn occasion, and
adapted to the use of edification.

To remove this objection, and to leave all
who shall hereafter continue in the neglect of
so reasonable a service inexcusable, we re-
commend to you for daily use in your families,
forms of prayer, which we have endeavoured
should be as short and comprehensive as is
consistent with perspicuity, that none may be
tired with their length, and because our words
should be few, as creatures in our circum-

i)

stances, whose foundation is in the dust, and
who dwell in houses of clay, address our
prayers to a Being of incomprehensible ma-
jesty and glory, whose throne is in the heav-
ens, exalted far above all principalities and
powers.

In forms of prayer, avoid vain repetitionsi,
sensible that our Father in heaven knows all
our wants and desires before we ask him, and
is ever ready of his abundant goodness, to
grant all our requests which are agreeable to
his will, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

We also recommend the use of scripture
expressions and allusions, as best adapted
to inform the understanding and warm the
heart.

We cannot therefore presume you will be
prejudiced against using forms of worship,
considering, 1st, That not only the primitive
apostolic churches used forms in their worship
after miraculous gifts had ceased in the church,
but that Jesus t)hrist hath left on record a
comprehensive form of prayer for the direction
of his disciples in all their addresses to the
throne of grace.

In thus recommending to you the use of
forms in prayer, we would not have it under-
stood as our meaning, that you should confine
yourselves to forms prepared for your use,
however excellent ; the use thereof will soon
overcome your natural timidity that will ena-
ble you to feel a freedom in offering up peti-
tions and praises in your own words, dictated
by a sense of pressing trials^ and signal mer-
eies.

1*

10

And now beloved friends, we entreat yoa
by the mercies of God, and the love of a Sa-
viour^ and the duty you owe to the immortal
souls committed to your care, to take the sub-
ject of this address into serious consideration,
and begin the practice, and we cannot but
hope you will be convinced of the reasonable-
ness of family prayer, and be induced to prac-
tice it. '5:dly, If you consider that the daily
practice of this duty in your families is found-
ed in the relation you bear to God as his rea-
sonable creatures ; your necessary dependence
on him for being, life, and all things you
need ; the obligations of gratitude you are
under to him as your preserver and benefactor,
and the regard you owe to the souls committed
to your care. 3dly, Consider that the time is
near at hand, when we must all appear before
God in the eternal world, to render unto him
an account of the improvement of our time,
opportunities and talents ; how we have per-
formed the duties incumbent on us in our seve-
ral stations and relations, and managed the
important trusts committed to us in this world ;
and we ought seriously to consider that he
will require at our hands those whom he hath
committed to our charge. Let these considera-
tions awaken you to a diligent and faithful
discharge of all the duties you owe to those
who are under your immediate care, and in
particular the duty of exemplifying your in-
structions by praying with them, that if, (not-
withstanding all your instructions, prayers,
counsels and admonitions,) they should be
drawn into the Vertex of sinful pleasure; by

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the temptations of an ensnaring world, and
finally lose their souls, their ruin may not be
chargeable to your account in the great day.

In this address we speak to you, beloved
friends, in the fulness of our hearts, and from
a sensible concern for your future happiness,
and the happiness of your families, that if it
shall please God to bless our endeavours, you
may be quickened to the diligent use of the
means, and the practice of the duties of reli-
gion, by which it may be insured to you, and
to your^s.

In this recommendation of family prayer^
we are fully convinced that it is the duty of
all, whatever their character, to awake from
their stupidity, and call upon God that they
perish not. Yet we speak principally to those
heads of families who are regular in their
lives and conversations; who have a rational
conviction of the truth of religion, the being,
perfections and providence of God, their neces-
sary dependence on him for every blessing ;
their guilt, weakness and misery, and need of
his help and mercy, and the reasonableness of
their praying to him for needed mercies ; but
at the same time wish to have some assistance
in this duty, that they may perform it in a
mnnner better adapted to edification than ex-
tempore prayers.

While we inculcate the expediency and
reasonableness of family prayer, and offer
these helps to the performaace of this duty,
we entreat you brethren ever to bear in mind
that prayer and other instrumental duties are
only means; which God in his divine wisdom

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hath appointed, for your obtaining the renew-
ing influence of his spirit to write upon your
hearts those two gieat and comprehensive laws
of his moral kingdom : Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart , and thy neigh-
bour as thyself ; and thereby qualify you for
the everlasting enjoyment of that kingdom.

Beware then of resting in a form of godli-
ness without the power thereof; if you do,
however constant and exemplary you may be
in prayer and other positive duties of religion,
your hope of future happiness founded on these
things will issue in shame, confusion and de-
spair. These things you ought to have done,
and not leave the other, justice, mercy and
truth, the necessary effects of a principle of
divine love in the heart, undone. We only
add our fervent prayers to the Father of lights
and mercies, that the happy period may be
hastened which will supercede these helps of
devotion, when the spirit of grace and suppli-
cation shall be poured out, when they shall
teach no more every man his neighbour, and
every man his brother, saying, Know ye the
Lord ; for they shall all know him from the
least of them to the greatest; and when prayers
and praises to Grod, dictated by a spirit of
pure and fervent devotion, shall ascend before
his throne from every family and dwelling
place of Mount Zion....AMEN,

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Advice relative to the service of the Sanctuary.

TO be early at the house of God, in order
to obtain the blessing on leaving it, thereby
uniting, with devout affections fixed on Grod,
joining our hearts with our lips in every part
of the worship. — To attend with seriousness
during the exhortation, as it points out to us
the great duty we are come upon — When we
pronounce the general confession of our sins,
to recollect our secret ones — When the abso-
lution is reading, we ought most humbly to
beg our share therein, and when the Psalms
and Hymns are repeating, to raise our souls,
and rejoice in God for the great blessings
commemorated in them — While the lessons
are reading, to observe w^hat particular instruc-
tions, reproofs, or consolations arise to us from
any part of them — In the collects and thelitany,
to endeavour to lift up our hearts to God to ob-
tain the blessings we ask of him — In the thanks-
giving, to unite in an humble acknowledgment
of the mercies received from God — When we
make confession of our faith with one voice, be
sure we unite with it the belief of our hearts —
While the commandments are repeating, to en-
deavour to recollect our former sins, and the in-
firmities of our nature, together with the tempta-
tions to which we are exposed. And to stand
w hen we are engaged in that sublime part of wor-
ship, Singing of praise to God. Whenever we
hear sermons (not however with a view to criti-
cise, and censure him who officiates^) but as

* " Reverence your minister, he is a wise and good man, and
one who has a tender care and respect for jou, do not therefore
grieve him, either by neglect or disrespect, if there b&.any person

14f

those who are desirous to become more wise and
better for them. — Thus we ought to behave ia
the house of God, and to think it our duty also
to attend to the several parts of the afternoon
service. — The command obliges us to keep the
sabbath day holy, and the honour and service
of Grod calls for our attendance on both parts of
the day, agreeably to the sentiments of profes-
«or Gilbert, of Leipsic, printed in his life^in
4775. ^' We think too lightly on the duties on
Sunday. 1 am convinced that a religious em-
ployment of this sacred day, is one indispensa-
ble mean, and indeed the most salutary of all,
to promote our progress in religion and piety.
To make a serious examination of our hearts ;
to lift them np to heaven ; to strengthen our
minds with the truth of faith : this is to fortify
for the whole week, and prepare ourselves ia
the discharging of our domestic duties and call-
ings with fidelity. He who employs the Sab-
bath well, can he make a bad use of the week ?
He who passes this day ill, can he think him-
self obliged to employ well the following
days ?* Hear me therefore, whoever you are^
that cast your eyes upon this paper, it is the
employment of Sunday, on which that of the
whole week depends.^^

who endeavours to set you against him, that person loves not jou^
nor the office he bears, and as Divine Providence has placed hiia
near you, I do expect you will pay suitable attention to him, for
his own, for yours, and for his office sake.

Sir Matthew HaWs .Advice to his family.
* It is a common observation, that public criminals, going to
the place of execution, and making their dying declarations to
the world, frequently charge their sinful courses, in which they
have lived, to their neglect and profanation of the Lord's Day as
the first and chief occasion of leading them into those enormiti^
that had brought them to their untimely end.

EPISCOPAL SERVICE.
PART I.

Mapted especially for Sabbath Morning.

Master. MY beloved friends^ who are now
assembled for the benefit of social worship, a
duty not only rational, but a privilege highly
to be esteemed, as honorary for us and to the
hiiman race, to call on the name of the Lord,
in offering him a religious sacrifice of gratitude
and praise ; may we therefore with seriousness
attend in our present devotions, and to the in-
structions of the sacred oracles, which directs
us in sundry places to acknowledge and con-
fess our manifold sins and transgressions ; that
we should not dissemble, nor cloak them be-
fore the presence of Almighty God our heaven-
ly Father ; but confess them with an humble,
lowly, penitent and obedient heart; to the end
that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by
his infinite goodness and mercy. And although
we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge
our sins before God ; yet ought we chiefly so
to do, when we meet together, to render thanks
for the great benefits that we have received at
his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise,
to hear his moat holy word^ and to ask those

16

things that are necessary, as well for the body
as the soul. Wherefore let us accompany
each other with the advice of the psalmist.

Master. O come, let us worship the Lord
our God ; and heartily rejoice in the strength
of our salvation.

Family. Let us come before his presence
with thanksgiving; and into his courts with
praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good
of his name.

M. Let us, with the inward devotion and
homage of our hearts, unite to serve him with
joy and gladness.

F. Jb^or the Lord Jehovah is great, far
above the Gods of the heathen which are but
idols ; but it is the Lord who made the heav-
ens.

M. In his hands are all the corners of the
earth, and the strength of the hills is His also.

F. The great deep is His, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.

M. May our praise therefore be of the lov-
ing kindness of the Lord, even upon the multi-
tude of his mercy, and to acknowledge him in
his holy temple.

F. To render to the Lord the honour due
unto his name, to worship him in the beauty of
holiness, and offer in his dwelling an oblation
with gratitude.

JH. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost ;

F. As it was in the beginning, is now, and
ever shall be ; world without end. Amen.

Master. Let us attend to those comfortable
words of Clirist our Saviour ; Come unto me

17

all ye who labour and are heavy laden and 1
will give you rest. He that cometh unto mc
1 will in no wise cast off. Ask and you shall
receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it
shall be opened unto you.

Family. Almighty God, give now unto us
that ask; let us v\ho seek, find; open the gate
unto us who knock, that we may receive thy
heavenly benediction.

M. St. John saith, God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end
that all who believe in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life ; that if any man sin,
we have an Advocate with Father, Jesus Christ
the Just : who is the Reconciliation for the
sins of the World : which if we confess and
forsake, he is faithful and just to forgive, and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We are
assured by God, who saith : Call upon me in
the day of trouble ; I will deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorify me : He will therefore have
mercy upon us, and heal our infirmities.

Master. Lift up your hearts.

jF. We lift them up unto the Lord.

M. Let us give thanks unto the Lord Js-
bovah.

F. It is meet and right so to do.

M. It is very meet and right, and our
bounden duty at all times, and in all places,
to give thanks unto thee,0 Lord, Holy Father,
everlasting God.

Af. Now unto the King Eternal, Immor-
tal, Invisible, the only wise God, be ascrif^fp d
all Honour and Glory, world withoeiir^^*^;^^ n

18

Master. O thou omnipotent Governour of
the world, the aid of all who need, the helper
of all those who with sincerity apply to thee
for succour, and the life of them who believe !
We call on our souls and all that is within
us, humbly to offer to thee, our tribute of
thanks, for the privilege thou dost grant us
to adore thy perfections, and celebrate the
praises of thy great and holy name.

Social Address.

Therefore with Angels, and Archangels,
and all the company of Heaven, we laud and
magnify thy glorious name ; evermore prais-
ing Thee, and saying. Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of Hosts, who is able to declare
thy greatness, and to recount the marvellous
works thou hast performed in all the genera-
tions of the world : Heaven and earth are full
of thy glory. — Glory be to thee, O Lord most
High. Amen.

Litany, or General Supplication.

Master. Assist us merciful God in these
our supplications and prayers, and dispose the
way of thy servants towards the aittainment of
everlasting salvation, that through all the vicis-
situdes of this mortal life, we may ever be de-
fended by thy gracious help ;
, ,,We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

M< That it may please thee to direct and
^^la-^ bdth our hearts and lives in the way of
tii^^aws^ and in the '""ks of thy command-

19

iiieuts, that through thy most ini§;hty protec-
tion^ both now and ever, we may be preserved
in body and soul to the end of our days ;

We beseech thee to hear us, good lord.

M. Prevent us O Lord in all our doings
with thy most gracious favour, and further us
with thy continual help, that in all our works
began, continued, and ended in thee, we may
glorify thy holy name, and finally obtain thy
pardoning mercy ;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

M. O thou fountain of all wisdom^ who
knovvest our necessities before we ask, and
our ignorance in asking ; be pleased to have
compassion on our infirmities ; that those
things which for our nnworthiness we dare
not, and for our blindness we cannot ask, may
be effectually obtained to the relief of our ne-
cessities, and to the setting forth of thy glory ;

We beseech thee to beams, good Lord.

M. Keep us, Lord, chaste in all our
thoughts, temperate in all our enjoyments,
peaceable under provocations, sincere and
faithful in our professions : That no necessity
may force, or opportunity of any kind allure
us to defraud, or injure our neighbour ;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

J^f. That it may please thee to give us
true repentance, to forgive our past offences,
to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit,
to amend our lives conformable to thy most
holy will ;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

M, That it may please thee to inspire our
hearts with christian benevolence, and to form

20

»ucb dispositions in us, that will enable us to
forgive our enemies, persecutors and slan-
derers ;

Turn their hearts, O Lord, and fill them
with thy love.

M. That if may please thee to inspire us
with true love and chanty, aud dispose us to
do all in our power, for defending the friend,
less, and assisting prisoners and captives, and
others who are helpless and indigent, and need
compassionate attention.

Incline our hearts, we beseech thee, to this
duty.

M. That it may please thee to enlightea
us with true knowledge and a right under-
standing of thy word and commandments, that
the same may have their due effect by govern*
ing our lives and actions ;

Vouchsafe to hear us, Almighty God.

M. That it may please thee to defend us
by thy mighty power, that we may not fall
into sin or temptation, but that all our doings
may be ordered by thy government, to per-
form what is righteous in thy sight ;

We beseech thee to hear us. good Lord.

M. That it may please thee to comfort and
support all those who are in trouble, sorrow,
need, affliction ; to defend us from the temp-
tations of prosperity, and in the time of adver-
sity, at the hour of death, aud at the day of
judgment ;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

M That it may please thee to grant us
grace, that the word we hear '' this day'^ with
our outward ears, may be so grafted inwardly

Si

in our hearts, that it may bring forth the fruits
of good living, to the honour and praise of thy
holy name;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

M. That it may please thee to illuminate
all bishops, and other ambassadors of the gos-
pel of p^-ace, with true knowledge and under-
standing of thy word and commandments, that
they, both by their preaching and living, may
set it forth and shew it accordingly ;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

M. That it may please thee to bless and
prosper the United States, and to give to all
nations, unity, peace and concord, and to
spread the gospel of thy Son over the face of
the whole earth, from the rising to the setting
sun ;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

M. That it may please thee to strengthen
in rifi;hteousness and true holiness, the Presi-
dent of the union, and others in authority ;
may they be guided by heavenly wisdom, to
rule in thy fear and love, for the preservation
of our civil and religious liberties, and in
the prosecution of the duties of their re-
spective stations, be ministers of God to us fur
go d;

Vouchsafe them Lord thy assistance.

M. We renew our addresses in beseeching
thee to keep us from all sedition, privy conspi-
racy and rebellion, from false doctrine, heresy
and schism, from hardness of heart, and coa*
tempt of thy word and commandments;

Good Lord, hear us*
»^

M. From pride, vain glory and hypocrisy ;
from envy, hatred and malice, and all uncbar*
itableness ;

Good Lord, deliver us.

M. From lightning and tempest; from
plague, pestilence and famine, and other ca-
lamitous events through life, and from an un-
prepared dissolution ;

Good Lord, deliver us.

M. Guide us we bessech thee by thy coun-
sel, through all the changing scenes of time,
that finally, by our endeavours to improve it,
we may be admitted to thine heavenly king-
dom.

M. Now to the King Eternal, Immortal,
Invisible, to the only wise God, be ascribed
honour and majesty forever. Amen.

The Gloria in Excelsis^ to he read or chanted
occasionally f social.

Glory be to God on high, and on earth
peace, good will towards men, who art a Be-
ing of all beings, fountain of all light and glory,
gracious father of men and angels, whose uni-
versal spirit is every where present, giving
life and light to all angels and glorified saints
in heaven, and all creatures upon earth. We
praise thee, we worship and adore thee, we
give thanks unto thee for thy great glory, O
Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father Al-
mighty.

O Lord the only begotten Son Christ Jesus,
Lamb of God, the brightness of thy Father^s
glory, and the express image of his person,
who art entered into the holy of holies; and

23

sittest at the right hand of (rod, high above all
throDes and principalities, who takest away
the sins of the world, and art making interces-
sion for all men. Thou who takest away the
sins of the world, accept our address — be thou
O Lord our light, peace and joy, now and for-
evermore* Jimen.

GENERAL PRAYERS,

Public calamity in time of War.

O Thou, who rulest without controul the
armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants
of the earth, and givest no account of thy ways
to men; nor may any say unto thee. What
doest thou ? let our miuds, we beseech thee,
be suitably solemnized by the threatening dis-
pensation of thy Providence, and our hearts
be deeply affected by this awful chastening
of thine band. We have reason to lament the
malignity of sin, and the extensive effects of
our apostacy, which gives strength and per-
verseness to those lusts and passions of the
human heart, which occasion wars and fight-
ings ; loading our atmosphere with pestilence
and death, filling many parts of the earth with
sighs and tears. But Lord, all events are sub-
ject to thy controul. Thou formest the light
and createst darkness, thou makest peace and
createst evil, afflictions do not rise from the
dust, neither does trouble spring from the
ground, nor any evil in the city, but by thy
permission. Help us to exercise suitable af-
fections of soul in our present circumstances.

S4

Enemies have been permitted to rise up
against us, and disturb our peaceful land, our
hearts are pained within us, at the sound of
the trumpet and the alarm of war. We ac-
knowledge having forfeited all our blessings
and mercies from thine hands. But may it
please thee to dispose our enemies to reasona-
ble terms to be at peace with us. We renew
our address that thou wouldest sanctify this
calamity, and prevent the immoral effects in
such a state of things. iVlay integrity and up-
rightness be the ruling principle of those who
are intrusted with the affairs of the natiim, and
pray that thou wouldest scatter the nations
that delight in war. But Lord, if thou seest
it necessary farther to chastise us under this
calamity, preserve us from dissentions, ani-
mosities, party spirit. Unite the hearts of this
people as one man. Inspire them with mag-
nanimity and patience in the defence of their
invaluable ^privileges. When the hosts go
for h to war, may we keep ourselves from the
accursed thing, and by thy judgments learn
righteousness. And may we be prepared for
a region of perfect peace, and a society of per-
feet concord in thy immediate presence above,
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
tlmen.

%A Prayer in time of Drought.

O God, heavenly Father, who by thy Son
Jesus Christ has promised to all those who seek
thy kingdom and the righteousness thereof, ail
things necessary to their bodily eustenauce^

25

send us, we beseech thee, rain from heaven
which now thou art withholding and threat-
ening us respecting the fruits of the earth, the
necessary support of man and beast. There
are none of the vanities of the Gentiles that
can give rain, neither can the heavens cause
showers. Thou Lord art he alone who can
relieve us, therefore we wait on thee. Thou
wast pleased to promise, that seed time and
harvest, summer and winter, day and night,
should not cease while the earth remaineth,
remove, we beseech thee, the present aspects
of thy providence, which seem to invalidate
this promise, and let the grass grow for the
cattle, and herb for the service of man, that ia
due time we may have a competent ingather-
ing of the fruits of the earth, and have where-
with to come before thee, at the close of the
year, with meat and drink-offerings. — We re-
new our address to thee, that in the midst of
this chastening, thou wilt be pleased to send
us spiritual blessings. Rain down righteous-
ness upon us, and may a work of reformation
be carried on, and the more we see of troubles
and disappointments here, the more we may
be prepared for a better world. Amen.

For Fair Weather.

O Almighty God, King of all kings and
Governour of the universe, whose power no
creature can resist, and to whom it belongeth
justly to afflict sinners, we acknowledge that
for our iniquities we have worthily deserved
this scourge of immoderate rain and waters.

yet upon our true repentance thou wilt gra-
ciously be pleased to pardon our past offences,
and send us in this our great necessity, such
seasonable and favourable weather, as that we
may receive the fruits of the earth for our com-
fort and support, and with thy blessing enjoy
them, and by this judgment be convinced of
the necessity to amend our lives according to
the precepts in thy holy word, and io render
thee praiseand thanksgiving through our Lord
and baviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

GENERAL THANKSGIVINGS.

^ Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we,
thine unworthy servants, do give thee most
humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness
and loving kindness to us, and to all men, par-
ticularly to those who desire to offer up their
praises and thanksgivings for late mercies
vouchsafed unto them. We bless thee for our
creation, preservation, and all the blessings of
this life ; but, above all, for thine inestimable
love in the redemption of the world b^': our
Lord Jesus Christ ; for the means of grace,
and for the hope of glory. And. we beseech
thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies,
that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful,
and that we may show forth thy praise, not
only with our li()s, but in our lives ; by devot-
ing ourselves to thy service, and by walking
hefore thee in holiness and righteousness all
our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
•imen.

S7

For Rain.

P God our heavenly Father, who by thy
gracious providence dotli c^use the former and
latter rain to descend upon the earth, that it
may bring forth fruit for the use of man ; we
give thee humble thanks, that it hath pleased
thee in our great necessity to send us at the last
a joyful rain upon thine inheritance and to re-
fresh it when it was dry, to the great comfort
of us thy unworthy servants, and to the glory
of thy holy name, through thy mercies in Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Fair Weather.

O Almighty God, who hath justly humbled
us by thy late scourge of immoderate rain and
waters, and in thy mercy hath relieved and
comforted our souls, by this seasonable and
blessed change of weather ; we praise and
glorify thy holy name for this thy mercy ;
and will always declare thy loving kindness
from generation to generation, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Jimen.

For restoring Public Peace.

O Eternal God, our heavenly Father, who
art a strong tower of defence to thy servants
against their enemies, we yield thee praise and
thanksgiving, for our deliverance from those
great and apparent dangers wherewith we were
encompassed ; we do ackowledge it thy good-
ness that we were not delivered over as a prey
unto them, beseeching tbee still to continue thy

28

mercies towards u > and grant us grace that
we may hence forth live peaceable lives in all
godliness and honesty, and that all the world
may know that thou art our Saviour and
mighty Deliverer, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. •Amen.

Conclusion.

Master. Almighty God, who hast given
us grace at this time, with one accord to make
our common supplications uuto thee ; who hast
been graciously pleased to promise thy spe-
cial presence, that wherever two or three are
gathered together in thy name, thou wilt grant
their requests ; fulfil now, Lord, the desires
and petitions of thy servants, as may be most
expedient for them ; granting us in this world
knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to
come life everlasting.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES.
PART II.

Suitable, also for the Sabbath,

Master. Infinitely great,

In case of the ah- eternal Jehovah, who an cloth-

ter, the eldest of ^cl wlth majesty and honour,

the family to offi- who coveiest thvself with lisrht

ciate m his stead. •.• ^ ,.

as with a garment, we worsliip
thee as a Being in the eternal and complete
possession of every possible perfection. We
revere that power by which the world was
made, and that beneficent providence which
embraces all the works of thine hands. We
admire that wisdom whieh is manifested in the
course and order of nature, and we adore that
goodness which extends to all thy creatures,
diffusing blessings throughout the universal
system. Under a full persuasion that thy
government is founded in infinite wisdom and
benevolence, may we be excited to rejoice ia
the consideration that thou, the Lord God om-
nipotent, reignest. iVIay we always entertaia
such high and exalted conceptions of thy maj-
esty and dominion, and have such views of thy
glorious perfections, as may fill our souls with
reverence and veneration, and excite internal

3

30

worship and obedience. Praised be God for
Sabbaths, and the privileges which attend
them ; for the institutions of public worship,
and for opportunities of engaging in it. May
thy Holy Spirit accompany us to the house of
worship, making us serious and attentive, rais-
ing our minds from the thoughts of this world
to the consideration of the next. May we fer-
vently unite in the prayers and praises of the
congregation, and attend to religious exercises
with sincerity, and practise our duty in our
future conduct. Bless the ministers of the
gospel ; may ihey and thy people be animated
in their devotions, and may the ministration of
thy word be the power of God unto. salvation
to those who hear it. O thou Father of mer-
cies, bless us who are now in thy presence.
We impiOre thy grace to form in us right dis-
positions to wait on thee in the service of the
sanctuary, that our assembling together may,
by thy blessing, prepare us for thy mercy and
pardon. May we resign our concerns into
thy hands, and commit ourselves to thy holy
keeping. May mercies draw us to thee, and
may afflictions produce their designed eflPect on
our principles and practice. Prepare us all for
whatever may be before us in life, that finally
through the merits of thy beloved Son, we may
be admitted into thy heavenly kingdom.

M. Glory be to the father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost —

F. As it was in the beginning, is now and
ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

31

Te Deunif or general Hymn of Praise.

Master. We praise thee, O God ; we ac
knowledge thee to be the Lord.

Family. All the earth doth worship thee,
the Father everlasting.

M. To thee all angels cry aloud ; the
heavens, and all the powers therein.

F. To thee cherubim and seraphim, who
continually are uniting, l^oly, holy, holy. Lord
God of Sabaoth.

M. Heaven and earth are full of the ma-
jesty of thy glory.

F. The glorious company of the apostles
praise thee.

The goodly fellowship of the prophets
praise thee.

The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy church, throughout the world;
doth acknowledge thee.

The Father of an infinite majesty ;
Thine adorable, true, and only Son ;
Also the Holy Ghost, the comforter.
Thou art the King of glory, O Christ, and
the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver
man, thou didst humble thyself to be born of
a virgin.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness
of death, thou didst open the kingdom of
heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the
glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our
Judge.

33

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed.

Aiake them to be numbered with thy saints,
in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine
heritage.

Govern and lift them up forever, and may
we daily magnify thee.

And worship thy name ever, world without
end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day
without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy
on us.

O Lord, let thy mercy be upon us, as our
trust is in thee.

And may we ever confide in thee, now
and forevermore. Amen.

Prayer.

Master. O Almighty Sovereign, Lord of
heaven and earth. Parent of angels and men,
who dwellest in light and glory unapproach-
able, with reverence and humility, we thine
unworthy servants desire to prostrate our-
selves at thy sacred footstool this day, to offer
to Thee our tribute of homage and worship,
on account of thy perfections and providence.
May our performances in religious exercises
be with such sincerity, purity of intention, and
devout affection, as may meet thine approba-
tion, and obtain thy gracious acceptance,
through Jesus Christ. Amen.

M. O Lord, open thou our lips*

38

F. As may excite our hearts to celebrate
thy praise.

iVlay it please thee of thy mercy to save us.,

AVe earnestly beseech thee to help us.

Manifest thy grace and favour to us.

And thereby grant us thy salvation.

Endue thy ministers w ith righteousness*

And may their respective congregations ob-
tain thy grace and favour.

Give peace, unity and concord in thy time,
O Lord.

For in thy government, we put our whole
trust.

Almighty Ood make clean our hearts with-
in us

And may thy Holy Spirit now accompa**
ny us.

M. Merciful God, grant that we be not
ashamed, to confess the faith of Christ cruci-
fied, but cheerfully enlist under his banner,
against sin and temptation, and to continue
Christ's faithful soldiers and servants to our
lives end.

F. Grant that the offences committed
through the course of our lives may be forgiv-
en, that all inordinate affections may be so
buried, that the new man may be raised up
in us.

M. Grant that we may have ?;trength and
power to obtain the victory over pride, cov-
etousness and hypocrisy.

F. Grant that we may be endued with
heavenly virtues, and finally rewarded through
thy mercy, O blessed Lord God, who governs
all things, world without end.
3*

34

Now to t1ie King eternal, immortal, invisible^
tbe only wise God, be all honour and glory.

Occasional Prayer.

Master. Infinitely great, transcendently
glorious f iord our God : with adoring admira^
tion and religious joy, we would contemplate
the wonderful displays of thy power, wisdom
and goodness, in the works of creation, pja^vi-
dence and grace. We would render praise
and thanksgiving, particularly for thy gra-
cious providence exercised towards this lower
world, and for thy loving kindness to the hu-
man race, and we desire to return thee our sin-
cjere thanks, that thou hast been pleased to
make mankind the objects of thy merciful re-
gards ; in showering down upon them a rich
profusion of blessings, adapted to promote
their well being, and to render their lives
pleasant and agreeable; and may the discove-
ries which thou hast been pleased to make of
thy being and providence ; of thy glorious
attributes and amiable perfections through all
thy works, be a constant prevailing motive of
adoration, praise and gratitude, and cheerful
compliance with all thine holy requirements, for
our Kedeemer^s sake. Amen.

Jin Act of Adoration.

Famili/ social. Into thy presence, O most
high and holy Lord God Almighty, we would
BOW approach Thee, with devout reverence
and godly fear, for thine is the kingdom, the
power and the glory; the heavens and the

31

earth are tlie work of thy hands, and thy pro-
vidence ruleth over all : xVlay we unile with
all the blessed spirits and souls of the righteous,
and worship Thee who livest for ever and
ever : Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory, honour and power; for thou hast crea-
ted all things, and for thy pleasure they are
and were created, (xreat and marvellous are
thy works. Lord God Almighty ; just and true
are thy ways, thou Kingof saints ; thy wisdom
is infinite, thy mercies are boundless : To thy
name be the praise for creating goodness, for
preserving mercy, and for redeeming love.
Now unto Him whose glory covereth the heav-
ens, whose praise filleth the earth, whose
ways are everlasting, who only doth wondrous
things, do we lift up onr hearts. Blessed be
his name for ever and ever. .Imen.

Taylor.

Canticle. — Ml creatures throughout the whole
system of nature called upon to praise God.
Adapted to occasions of Joy and Thanks-
giving.

Master. O ye firmament, ye heaven of
heavens, bless ye the Lord ; praise and mag-
nify his name for ever.

Family. For his word gave nature birth ;
his will is nature's law ; his providence sus-
tains the world, and the whole creation is his
care.

M. Ye sun, moon, and all the starry train
in your heights, bless ye the Lord; praise and
magnify his name forever.

36

F. All power resides in him, aa its native
seat ; all wisdom flows from him, as from it*
original source, and goodness belongs to him
as an essential and immortal principle.

M. Ye angels of light, cherubim, sera-
phim and ye celestial inhabitants, bless ye
the Lord ; praise and magnify his name for
ever

K For great is the Lord, and of great
power ; his understanding is infinite, and his
mercy endureth for ever.

M. Ye ambassadors of the gospel, that
bringeth good tidings of peace, and all the in-
habitants of this lower world, bless ye the
Lord ; praise and magnify his name for ever,

F. Let the whole earth unite in praises to
the universal Parent and Friend of being, from
the inexhaustible stores of whose bounty and
goodness, our wants are all supplied.

M. Ye kings, presidents, princes, poten-
tates, magistrates, judges, and all descriptions
of people, whether high or low, bless ye the
Lord; praise and magnify his name for ever.

F. Let all fathers and matrons, venerable
with age; young men and maidens, and those
who are in the meridian of life, togetiier with
children, bear a part in this harmonious and
devout concert, in praising his name for ever.

M. Ye various seasons, summer and win-
ter, frost and snows, winds and tempests, va-
pour, showers, hail and dew, bless ye (he
Lord ; praise and magnify his name for ever.

F. Ye mountains and hills, verdant plains
and vallies, tall cedars, towering oaks, fruit-
ful treeS; winding yiues, flowery meads; and

37

humble shrubs, bless ye the Lord ; praise and
magnify his name for ever.

JVf. Ye beasts and all cattle, ye fish that
replenish the ocean, with creeping things and
flying fowl, bless ye the Lord ; praise and
magnify his name for ever.

F. Ye waters that are above the firmament,
together with all rivers, seas, lakes and foun-
tains that are upon the earth, bless ye the
Lord ; praise and magnify his name for ever.

M. Praise the Lord, O ye saints ; praise
thy God, O Zion,

jF. For the Lord is good to all, and his
tender mercies are over all his works ; with
peculiar complaisance he beholds his devout
worshippers ; he hears their prayers, and will
fulfil the desires of their hearts.

M. While we live let us praise the Lord ;
let us celebrate his perfections and providence
while we have a being ; and let all flesh bless
and praise his holy name for ever and ever,
•Simen

Confessional Address^ adapted for family^ or
public Calamities.

Master. O Thou Father of mercies, who
gave us being at first, and who hast nourished
and brought us up as children: when we re-
fleet upon thy goodness, whereby thou hast
laid us under tlie strongest obligations of love
arid gratitude, submission and obedience ; we
desire with the dee()est humiliation, contritioa
ani ijpiiiteutial sorr-u, to reflect on the unsnit-
abie rtlurus we have made. Behold ! O i^ord^p

38

we are vilie ; we have been ungrateful to thee,
our Creator and Preserver, and have trans-
gressed thy holy laws, and violated our obli-
gations in numerous instances of infi;ratitude;
we have erred and strayed from thy ways,
and have followed too much the devices and
desires of our own hearts; we have done those
things we ought not to have done, and left nn-
done those things we ought to have done, and
there is no health in us, and we are before thee
in our trespasses and sins. We do earnestly
repent and are heartily sorry for these our mis-
doings ; the remembrance of them is grievous
unto us, whereby we have exposed ourselves
to thy righteous displeasure, and rendered our-
selves obnoxious to thy resentments ! But thou,
O God, have mercy on us miserable offenders ;
restore to us, who are penitent, thy grace, ac-
cording to thy promise declared unto mankind
in Christ Jesus our Lord ; and may afflictive
dispensations have their due effect ; may thy
rod of correction serve to reform us, that in fu-
ture we may endeavour to walk before thee in
newness of life, and new obedience.

Family. Remember not, Lord, our offen-
ces ; spare thy people, and be not angry with
us.

M. Almighty God, deal not with us after
our sins.

F, ]Sor reward us according to our iniqui-
ties.

Correct us not. Lord, in anger, lest thou
bring us to nothing.

We beseech thee help and deliver us for
thy name's sake.

39

Enter not into judgment with thy unworthy
servants,

For in thy sight, none living can be justified.

Favourably be pleaded to accept our peti-
tions.

Graciously behold the afflictions and sor-
rows of our hearts.

Lord, may thy goodness and mercy be ex-
tended to us.

And may we finally obtain thy grace and
favour.

Master. Almighty God, may we rejoice
in the assurance which thou hast given us, that
there is forgiveness with thee for penitents ;
and we beseech thee to regard the contrition
and sincerity of our souls, and for thy name^s
sake pardon our iniquities, and grant us thy
salvation, according to the riches of thy grace,
that being animated by the noblest motives,
and actuated by the best principles in the pro-
secution of our various stations in life, we may
in the future course of our pilgrimage, main-
tain our integrity, preserve our consciences
clear, and approve ourselves to Thee, as duti-
ful subjects of thy moral kingdom, by a cheer-
ful resignation to thy sacred will in all in-
stances, wherein thou art pleased to make us
acquainted, either by the light of nature or
revelation, ascribing to thy great name, honour
and power everlasting. Amen.

Master. O Lord save us thy servants,
Familij. Who put our trust in thee.

40

Be thou to us a strong tower,

From the assaults of our enemy*

Our help standeth in the name of the Lord^

Who hath made heaven and earth.

Lord, hear our prayers,

And may our petitions be accepted.

Blessed be the name of the Lord,

Henceforth world without end.

Occasional Prayer for the Evening Service.

Master. Almighty God, lighten our dark-
ness we beseech thee, and by thy great mercy
defend us from all perils and dangers of this
night, granting us moderate and refreshing
rest, free from sinful imaginations, which too
often are the effects of our corrupt natures ;
when we awake, let our souls be filled with
heavenly thoughts and pious meditations, al-
ways remembering we are in the presence of
God, who knows our downsitting and our up-
rising, and who art acquainted with all our
ways. If we should be so vain and thought-
less as to believe that the darkness would cov-
er us from thee : yet the darkness and light to
thee are both alike. And forasmuch as the
closing our eyes to rest, so nearly resembles
death, and our beds are but models of our
graves, out of which we must one day be called
by the sound of the last trump, to arise and
come to judgment, let this, and every evening,
and every morning, remind us of our dying
hour. Make us, therefore, sensible how high-
ly it concerns us while we have health of body
aud soundness of mind, to be armed, like good

41

soldiers^ with Christian courage aod resolntiou
for our death-bed conflicts with diseases
and spiritual euemies, that, as death to many
is a terror, it may be to us a friend, that we
may with cheerftilness quit these houses of
clay and fleshly tabernacles^ and exchange
the troubles of a painful pilgrimage in a vale
of anxiety for heaven, with the blessed com-
pany of saints and angels, and enter into the
joy of our Lord and {Saviour Jesus Christ,
Amen.

Occasional Prayer.

Master. Almighty God^ be pleased to ac-
cept of our praises and thanksgivings, offered
unto thee for thy beneficent providence, which
has hitherto attended us in every stage, and
through all the vicissitudes of past life, making
constant provision for our support and com-
fort, by innumerable blessings which have giv-
en us a relish for existence, and laid a foun-
dation for the most animating hopes of deriv-
ing from thine inexhaustible munificence all
further needed supplies of good, and affords
us constant and most reviving evidence of
thine unmerited paternal care and bounty,
whereof we have had hapjiy experience, and
to which we are indebted for our present agree-
able circumstances : May we live under an
habitual impressive sense of our dependence
on Thee, and obligations to tldne ever active
providence, in acknowledging Thee in all thy
ways ; may we put our trust in Thee ; through
all ihe changing scenes of life, and with the

43

warmest emotions of gratitude and most fixed
resolution of holy obedience, make it our co i-
slant and devout inquiry what we shall render
to Thee for all thy benefits.

Master. Thou that hearest prayer, who
hast not (tnly invited and encouraged, but com-
manded us to maintain a sacred intercourse
with heaven by prayer and supplication to-
gether with thanksgiving ; pardon v^e beseech
thee whatever has been amiss in our present
address, and graciously accept us, as we de-
sire with the profoundest humility and rever-
ence to close our devotions.

Social.

Our Father w ho art in heaven, hallowed be
thy name ; thy kingdom come, thy will be
d( ne on earth as it is done in heaven ; grant
us thy daily blessing, and forgive us our tres-
passes, as we forgive those who trespass
against us ; lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil ; for thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory for ever. •.imen.

CONTENTS.

Devotional Exercises.

I. General Adoration and Prayer, shewing the benefit of

Piety and Virtue.

II. Calculated to inspire the soul with exalted concep-

tions of God.

III. God's eternity and man's mortality, proper on the

death of a friend or near relation.

IV. God's omnipresence ; motive to caution and circum-

spection.

V. Thanksgiving and Prayer, with expressions of Hope

and Joy in God.

VI. Breathings of a devout soul, on the views of divine

favour.

VII. Ascriptions of praise to God, adapted to beget awe
and holy caution.

VIII. Confession of sins, accompanied with prayer and
resolution of repentance.

IX. Expressions of resolution to praise God on account of
his perfection and providence.

X. Good men esteem it their felicity to approach God iri

acts of worship, suitable for Sabbath morning.

XI. The majesty and power of God displayed in the ope-
rations of nature.

XII. The mind relieved in the view of Providences by
the prospect of future reward.

XIII. Confession of sins with Prayers, in hopes of the
mercy of God.

XIV. Rejoicing in the Lord, for good, who fills our hearts
with delight and gladness.

XV. The goodness of, God towards the righteous in his
Protection and Support.

CONTENTS.

XVI. Shewing the Majesty and Glory of God, with joy
and confidence in him.

XVII. Faith in God, and Jesus Christ, the way to increase
and strengthen it.

XVIII. The shortness of life, and certainty of death
adapted to occasions of mortality.

XIX. The condescension of God for his goodness in the
blessings of the new covenant.

XX. The displays of the perfections and providence of
God conspicuous in the Heavens and Earth.

XXI. Sincerity in religion the subject of prayer and ex-
hortation.

XXII. Calculated to promote christian temper and
charity.

XXIII. Confession, supplication and confidence in God,
adapted also for Sabbath morning.

XXIV. Diligence and contentment.

XXV. On Divine Goodness.

XXVI. Peculiarly adapted for the young.

XXVII. The righteous and wicked compared.

XXVIII. The importance and excellent advantage of
Divine Revelation.

XXIX. Suitable for Christmas morning. On the incar-
nation of Christ, and merciful design of his advent
into the world.

XXX. Concludes on the day of judgment.

DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES.

PREFACE.

THE book of Psalms "being calculated to
excite those religious affections, which we
owe to God, as our Creator, Preserver, right-
ful Sovereign, and gracious Benefactor ; to
inspire the soul with pure and elevated de-
votion, with humility, resignation, confi-
dence towards God, and holy resolutions ; to
strengthen and establish the principles of faith
and piety, and enforce the obligations of virtue
and a good life, the compiler of the following
exercises, has paid particular attention to it,
and made large selections from it. He hath
not however, confined himself to that devo-
tional book, but hath collected a variety of
expressions and sentiments from other parts
of the inspired scriptures, adapted to inspire
a spirit of piety and rectitude, and to preserve
the mind in a serious and devout frame.
Nor hath he aimed at any methodical or
systematical arrangement, but in conformity
to the general mode of composition, adopted
by the inspired writers, wh^n treating on the
1

6

duties of faith, pi^ty and religious homage,
hath promiscuously introduced adoration and
prayer, instruction, exhortation, and devotion,
presuming that families who are disposed to
avail themselves of the assistance of these
exercises, will have sufficient discretion to
use one, or more, as may be best suited to
circumstances and occasions, whether special
or common; the master at his option, reading
the first verse, the family the second, and so
on alternately to the end of the exercise, as
may be deemed most subservient to the pur-
pose of religious edification. — The compiler
only adds his earnest prayer, that, by the
concurring blessing of Heaven, this sincere
attempt to promote a spirit of piety and devo-
tion, and a^ conscientious walk with God, in
righteousness and true holiness, may be
crowned with success.

DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES.

SELECTED CHIEFLY FROM THE SACRED SCRIPTUKE3, AXD
ESPECIALLY FROM THE PSALMS.

EXER. I.

General adoration and prayer^ interspersed
with some expressions^ shewing the advan-
tages of piety and virtue.

1. Master. It is a good thing to call on
the name of the Lord ; to confess our sins be-
fore hioi with penitence ; to recount his mer-
cies with thanksgiving, and to acknowledge,
with adoration, that universal providence
which sustains and governs the world, and
diffuses happiness throughout the whole sys-
tem of nature.

2. Family. O Eternal Source of good ; by
thy almighty power thou didst create man
and inspire him with the breath of life ; grant
us we humbly pray, thy gracious guidance
and aid amidst all the trials, changes, and
vicissitudes, incident to the present state of
imperfection and mortality ; and afterwards
receive us to glory.

8

3. M. Blessed is the man who choosetli
the fear of the Lord, and delighteth to perforin
his will ; who doth justly, loveth mercy, and
walketh humbly, and avoiding the ways of
the wicked, doth sincerely exercise himself;
day and night in the service of his God.

4. F. His leaf shall not wither; but he
^hall flourish as a tree planted by the water
side, which seasonably and plentifully yield-
eth its fruit, and whatsoever he undertaketh
shall prosper. His days shall be prolonged
on the earth, and he shall rejoice in them all.

5. Jil. O our Heavenly Father, who art
from everlasting to everlasting, thy name is
great in the earthj and thy mercies, unbound-
ed by time, are endless as eternity. Hear
our requests, we beseech thee^ and may our
prayers for pardoning mercy, and for grace
to fulfil thy will, ever meet thy favourable
audience.

6. Jt\ Let all those, O Lord, who confide
in thee, rejoice, and may our praises ever be
acceptable in thy sight ; for every day of our
lives is crowned with thy loving kindness,
and thou art continually showering down
upon us innumerable, unmerited blessings,
relieving us in distresses, supporting us in
troubles, protecting us in dangers, and provid-
ing for our comfort, through all the changing
scenes of life.

7. M. What is man, O Lord, that thou
art mindful of him, or the son of man that
thou visitest him ? for though thou hast given
us pre-eminence above the fowls of the air
and beasts of the field, and made us capable

9

of offerias thee a rational and religious ser-
vice, yet every man, at his best estate, is al-
together vanity.

8. F. We will give thanks unto the Lord
and praise him with our whole hearts, we
will rejoice in him, for he maintaineth our
right. His throne is established in equity,
and he will finally judge the world in right-
eousness.

9. M, O praise the Lord, who dwelleth in
Zion, whose power, wisdom, and goodness
are underived and infinite, and without whose
permission and superintendence not even a
sparrow falleth to the ground.

10. F. Trust in the Lord and thou shalt
be satisfied ; delight in him and he will give
thee thy hearths desire; commit thy ways un-
to him and he will be thy present guardian
and friend, and thy final and eternal portion.

ll.M. Praise, O our souls, the glorious
Jehovah, who is clothed with honour and
majesty, and dwelleth in light inaccessible.

12. F. The Lord spreadeth out the heav-
ens as a curtain ; the clouds are his chariots
and he moveth on the wings of the wind ; He
maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a
flaming fire.

13. F. Give unto the Lord the glory due
to his name ; worship him in the beauty of
holiness, and with the inward devotion and
homage of the heart, for all things are naked
and open to his view, and he requireth truth
in the inward part.

14. F\ Lord, who shall be admitted to the
habitations of the heavenly paradise ? He^

1^

10

who^ under the sacred influence of religion
and virtue^ worships thee in spirit and in
truth, and with unfeigned integrity, discharg-
eth the duties of justice^ fidelity^ and charity
towards his neighbour.

15. M. He, who promiseth and perform-
eth, w ho is faithful in his covenants and true
to his engagements, who loves God supreme-
ly^ and his neighbour as himself.

1(5. I\ The Lord will reward him accord-
ing to the purity of his intentions, and the
regularit^^ of his actions ; for verily there is a
reward for the righteous, and their expecta-
tion shall not be disappointed.

EXKR. II.

Calculated to inspire the soul taith honorary
and exalted conceptions of the Deity ; to
strengthen our faith in him; and encourage
the virtues of a pious and good life.

i. Master. The Lord reigneth, let the
earth stand in awe before him, and with glad-
ness of heart rejoice in his sovereign do-
minion,

^. J^amily. The Lord rideth upon the
heavens in his mighty and in his excellency
on the skies ; the clouds are the dust of his
feet ; fire and hail, snow and vapour, thunder^
storm^ and tempest fulfil his word.

3. M. If God be for us, who can be
against us ? He sitteth in the circuit of heav-
en and the inhabitants of the earth are before

11

him as nothing. He frowneth at the plots of
the wicked, and bringeth tlie counsels of the
froward to nought.

4. t\ Happy then are those whom he
receives under the wings of his holy protec-
tion. Encircled in the arms of his aloiighty
guardianship, tliey rejoice in security, amidst
those alarming convulsions and tumults,
which threaten to involve the world in misery
and ruin.

5. M. O Thou Most High, guard us, we
beseech thee, as the apple of the eye ; secure
us under the shadow of thy wings ; may we
be satisfied with thy goodness, and behold
thy face in righteousness.

6. F. Bless the Lord, O our souls, and
rejoice in the God of our salvation. Let us
choose him for the portion of our inheritance,
and order our conversation aright before him.
Then he will maintain our lot, and secure
for us a goodly heritage under the smiles of
his gracious providence*

7. M. In all the important affairs of life,
let us take God into our consideration and
counsels ; and in a way of well doing, repose
our confidence in him, as the rock of ages.
Then shall we not fall ; but be supported
through life, rejoicing in the views of futurity;
moreover also our flesh shall finally rest in
hope.

8. F. O Thou fountain of light and wis-
dom, guide our feet, we beseech thee, into
the path which leadeth to life eternal ; that
we may finally be admitted to thine heavenly
presence; where there is fulness of joy, and

12

be placed at thy right haad^ where are pleas-
ures evermore.

9 M. We adore thee, O Lord, who art
our shield and strength, our refuge and for-
tress. In thee we will put our trust. We
will call upon thee in the day of trouble, and
thou wilt hear our voice, and preserve us in
safety, as not to fear the wrath of man, nor
the malice of any of the powers of darkness.

10. F. Considering, that if we do well,
we shall be accepted ; but if we do ^not well,
remorse will be the issue, God will be dis^
pleased and his providence frown upon us.

It. M. God's ways are prefect; the word
of tlie Lord is tried ; he is a buckler to those
who put their trust and confidence in him.

13. F. With the merciful, he will shew
himself merciful ; with the upright, he will
shew himself upright ; with the pure he will
shew himself pure ; and with the froward, he
will shew himself froward.

13. M. For the time approaches, when he
will pronounce. Those who are unjust, let
them be unjust still; and those who are
filthy, let them be filthy still ; and those who
are righteous, let them be righteous still ;
and those who are holy, let them be holy still.

14. F. Thy law Almighty God is perfect,
converting the soul ; thy testimony is pure,
making wise the simple ; thy statues are
right, rejoicing the heart ; thy commandment
is pure, enlightening the eyes.

16. AL Moreover, by them are thy ser-
vants warned ; and in keeping them there is
a great reward*

13

16. F. Blessed are those that do his com-
inandments; they will have a right to the tree
of life^ and will enter in through the gates of
the city.

EXER. 111.

God^s eternity and man-s mortality^ with suit-
abh petitions ; peculiarly proper on occa-
sion of the death of a near friend or rela-
tion.

!• Master. O Lord our God, who inhabit-
est eternity, and fillest immensity ; how ex-
cellent is thy name in all the earth, and thy
glory above the heavens.

S. Family. Before the day was ; before
the mountains were brought forth, or ever the
earth and the world were formed ; even from
everlasting to everlasting thou art God ; the
same yesterday, to day, and forever.

3. M. The earth and the heavens shall
perish, but the Lord shall endure forever.
They shall wax old as doth a garment, and
as a vesture shall he fold them up, and they
shall be changed, but his years have no end.

4. F. His goings forth have been from of
old, from everlasting ; and the number of his
years cannot be searched out.

5. M. One day is with the Lord, as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one
day, and our age is as nothing before him.

6. F. Man fleeth as a shadow, his days
are swifter than a post. — We do all fade
away as a leaf, and there is none abiding.

li

7. M. All flesh is grass, and the glory of
man as the flower of the field. The grass
withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.
The wind passeth over it^ and it is gone, and
the place thereof shall know it no more.

8. F. Man that is born of woman, is of
few days and fall of trouble. He cometh
forth as a flower, and is cut dqwn ; he fleeth
also as a shadow and continueth not.

9. M. The Lord knoweth our frame, he
remembereth that we are but dust. May he
impress our minds with the consideration of
our end, and the measure of our days, that
we may know how frail we are.

10. F. The common period of our life is
threescore years and ten, and if by reason of
strength it be prolonged to fourscore years,
yet will labour and sorrow unavoidably at-
tend that protracted duration.

11. M. May the Sovereign Arbiter of life
and death, teach us so to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom ;
that in the advancing eve of life (should we
attain to old age) as well as in earlier periods,
we may rejoice in the light of his countenance,
and be supported by reviving hopes of a bless-
ed immortality beyond the grave.

12. F. Satisfy us, O Lord, with life ; sat-
isfy us with thy mercies ; purify our affec-
tions ; elevate our minds above terrestrial ob-
jects ; and direct our steps through all the in-
tricate passages of our present pilgrimage,
till we arrive safely at the heavenly Canaan.

13. M. O our Heavenly Father, who hast
aceessto all minds, strengthen our holy re-

15

solutions, and fortify us by the aids of thy
gracious presence, that we may persevere in
the ways of duty, and at last be crowned with
the rewards of the just.

14. F. Prepare us, O Lord, for all the
events of life ; for w^hatever scenes may open
upon us, and for whatever changes await us,
during the remainder of our journey through
the wilderness of this world ; and enable us
to acquit ourselves with dignity and honour,
as good and faithful servants.

15. M. May faith and piety, benevolence
and goodness, be the governing principles of
our lives, and may we ever be glad and re-
joice in the salvation of God.

16. F. Supported by that hope, which
the gospel inspires, may we be wafted by
propitious gales, over the tempestuous sea of
this mortal life, and finally be landed safely
in the calm regions of immortality.

Where everlasting peace, and joy, and rest,
Shall all conspire to make us ever blest.

EXER. IV.

God^s omniscience and omnipresence^ motives
to caution and circumspection.

i. Master. O Lord thou hast searched
and known us. Thou knowest our down sit-
ting and our uprising, and art acquainted
with all our ways.

S. Family. Thou compassest our path and
our laying down ; and there is not a word in

16

our tongue, nor a thought in our heart, but,
O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether.

3. M. The Lord discerneth the spirits of
all men ; he searcheth all hearts, and know-
eth the things that come into our minds, and
understandeth all the imaginations of the
thoughts.

4. JP. He observeth all our works ; he
pondereth all our goings ; by him actions are
weighed ; and a book of remembrance is
written before him.

d. M. Whither shall we go from his
spirit? or whither shall we flee from his pres-
ence? Behold, the heavens, and the heaven
of heavens cannot contain him, for his pres-
ence pervades the universe.

6. F. Should we, upon the wings of the
morning, fly to the uttermost limits of the
creation, even there would his hand lead us,
and his right hand sustain us.

7. M. If we say, the darkness shall cover
and hide us from his presence, even the night
shall be light about us.

8. F. The all discerning eye of God
penetrates the thickest veil of darkness ; the
night shineth before him as the day ; the
darkness and the light are both alike to him.

9. M. Such knowledge is infinitely too
w^onderful for us, it is high, we cannot attain
to it.

10. F. May a consideration of the pres-
ence, inspection, and infinite knowledge of
God, inspire our souls with awe and rever-
ence, and dispose us to keep our consciences
clean and clear.

17

11. M. May such solemn thoughts be a
constant restraint upon us, and effectually
deter us from all wickedness and criminal in-
dulgence.

13. F. Under the habitual impression of
such awful sentiments, let us walk before
God with holy caution and circumspection all
the days of our lives.

13. M. Exercising ourselves to have al.
ways consciences void of offence ; for if our
hearts reproach us not, then shall we have
confidence towards God.

14. F. Remember that God is of purer
eyes than to behold evil, let us cleanse our-
selves from all filthiness of flesh, and spirit,
and perfect holiness in his fear.

15. M. Under a realizing belief that his
all- seeing eye is always upon us, let us study
to approve ourselves to him, by a persevering
and close compliance to his will and holy
laws.

16. F. Then shall we not be ashamed,
when we have respect to all his commands,
but may possess our souls in peace, rejoicing
in hope of being finally admitted to supreme
felicity in the kingdom of glory.

EXER. V.

Thanksgiving and prayer^ interspersed with
expressions ofhope^ confidence^ and joy in
God.

Mas. O THOU gracious Parent of the
Avorld; who art the only suitable object of
S

18

supreme homage and worship ; who crownesfc
us with innumerable blessings, unmerited
and freely bestowed ; daily would we bow
before thee to offer our tribute of praise^ and
to implore thy future benediction.

Fam. O thou who hearest prayers, we es-
teem it infinitely reasonable to approach thy
presence every day, with humility and devo-
tion, and by prayer and supplication, togeth-
er with thanksgiving, to make known our re-
quests unto thee.

Confiding in thine immutable goodness and
providential care, O Thou Fountain of be-
nevolence and wisdom, we would humbly
refer ourselves and all our concerns to thine
unerring guidance, conduct and disposal.

Considering that the present scene of mor-
tal things will shortly close, and supported
by lively hopes of future glory, may we pre-
serve a calm and composed mind amidst the
anxieties, disappointments, sorrows and trials
of this vale of tears.

May the great Creator and Preserver of
life, in whom we live and move and have our
being, teach us to be wise in time^ that we
may be happy through eternity.

May the Father of Lights, from whom
Cometh down every good and perfect gift,
give us clear perceptions of things, and arm
us against the temptations to unworthy con-
duct, with which we are surrounded, that we
inay never deviate from truth and rectitude,
but maintain our integrity, and preserve our
consciences cleaA and clear to the end of
life.

19

For the Lord regarcleth with complaisance,
those who fear him ; he will support them in
times of trouble, and never suffer them to be
tempted above what they are able to bear ;
' and will cause all things to work together
for good.

Verily the righteous shall be joyful in tho
Lord, and be glad in his salvation : the Al-
mighty will be their staff and defence, and
with the light of his countenance will illume
the shadow of death, when they are called to
pass through that gloomy vale,
I. Beholding the gates of heaven wide un-

folded to give them entrance, they shall re-
joice in God their salvation, and with trans-
port exult in the views of glory, honour and
immortality.

The upright man lias a treasure in him-
self, out of the reach of the changes and
chances of this world. Conscious integrity
opens in his breast an unfailing source of con-
solation and delight, in every condition of life.
He is satisfied from himself.

The gratulations of his own heart in reflect-
ing upon virtuous intentions and actions, pre-
serve a constant serenity within, and inspire
him with fortitude to bear all the adversities
and afflictions, which may fall to his lot, in
his present state of trial and discipline.

The memory of a well spent life, affords
the most ravishing and permanent pleasures
to the soul, and does especially yield conso-
lation and excite lively joy in the gloomy
hour of its separation from the body.

But sinful gratifications, itnd the pleasures

20

of a vicious life are transitory, pregnant with
sorrow, and cast a dismal shade over the face
of futurity.

May such thoughts ever possess our souls,
and under the influence of such sentiments,
may we be engaged to cultivate such purity
of heart and life as sliall secure for us the
favour and friendship of tiie Almighty Dis-
poser of events and Governor of futurity.

Duly considering the uncertainty of all sub-
lunary enjoyments, and not forgetting that
death is the unavoidable lot of mankind, may
we carry our views forward into future scenes,
beyond death and the grave, and take care
ieasonably to lay up treasures in heaven.

May we ever preserve upon our minds,
such a sense of the presence and inspection of
the great and glorious God, as shall raise us
superior to temptations, and dispose us to
keep our consciences void of oflfence ; that
we may have the ineffable satisfaction of an-
ticipating while here, that supreme and eternal
felicity, which God, that cannot lie, hatii
promised to bestow upon all his faithful ser-
vants, hereafter.

EXER. VI.

General breathings of a devout souJ, in the
vietvs of Divine favour, and confident hope
of Divine guidance and direction.

Mas. Let us triumph in the name of the
Lord Jehovah, and rejoice in the God of our

SI

salvation, who graciously regardeth our de-
votions, sustaineth us by his providence, and
8upplieth our daily returning wants from the
inexhaustible fullness of his bounty and good-
ness*

Fam. Who, O Lord shall ascend thy holy
mount, and inhabit the seats of the blessed :
He whose hands are pure, who hath not
deceived nor defrauded his neighbour, and
whose mind is ennobled with moral excel-
lence, and enriched with the sublime maxims
of religion, and principles of virtue and recti-
tude.

Mercy and truth, light and grace are al-
ways scattered in the paths of those, who
sincerely endeavour to keep the command-
ments of God. The Lord will guide them
in judgment, and shew them the way to sal-
vation.

May a serious recognition of the innumer-
able instances of divine mercy and loving
kindness, of which we have had happy expe-
rience, fill us with unfeigned sorrow for our
past ingratitude and frequent departures from
the line of duty, and excite the most earnest
endeavours to fulfil the will of our heavenly
Benefactor for the future.

May the Author of all intelligence and
wisdom, who gave us our rational faculties,
teach us the knowledge of ourselves, make
us acquainted with the important destination
and grand interest of our being, and dispose
to a correspondent practice.

O Thou, who gave us life at first, and by
whose visitatiau our spirits have been hitherto

S3

upheld, cause us to know our end and the
measure of our days, and duly to consider
and prepare for our latter end, before death
shall dissolve the vital tie^ w^hich unites soul
and body, and deliver us into the embraces
of a boundless eternity.

The righteous Lord loveth righteousness.
Justice and judgment, in concert with grace
and mercy, are the habitation of his throne.
He regardeth the moral differences, in men's
characters, and will finally render to every
one according to the nature and quality of his
actions.

Happy is the man, whom the Lord chus-
eth^ and causeth to approach unto himself;
he shall dwell in the courts of the Lord, be
satisfied in his goodness^ and be glad in his
Salvation.

The righteous shall inherit the earth.
Wisdom marks their steps, and gives them
internal peace and external tranquility^ and
they derive unspeakable solace from con-
scious integrity.

But the way of transgressors is hard. It
is full of thorns and briars. Sorrow and re-
morse, misery and wretchedness are the in-
separable companions of those who walk
therein, and its end is remediless perdition.

O thou Parent of knowledge, teach us the
knowledge of thyself; shew us the way of
the godly^ and guide us into the paths of the
upright ; inspire us with that wisdom which
is from above, and at all times profitable to
direct, and make us wise unto salvation.
Most m^rqiful father in heave n^ impress

23

our minds^ we beseech thee, with a lively
sense of our duty and obligations, as reason-
able beings and as christians ; incline our
hearts to fear thy name, and may our breasts
ever glow with sentiments of love and grati-
tude to thee.

The Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh
not his saints ; they are preserved forever ;
but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

What man is he that desireth life and lov-
eth many days that he may see good ? Let
him keep his tongue from evil and his lips
irom speaking guile.

Depart from evil and do good, seek peace
and pursue it ; so shalt thou dwell in the
land, and verily thou shalt be satisfied.

O Lord, Thou art our hope and confidence.
Thy name is great; it is excellent in all the
earth, whoso offereth praise glorifieth thee,
and he that ordereth his conversation aright
shall see thy salvation.

EXER. VIL

•Iscriptions of praise to God, with expres^
sions of reverence, adapted to beget awe
and excite holy caution.

Mas. Ascribe unto the Lord, ye nations
of the earth, ascribe unto the Lord, glory
and power, majesty and dominion ; reverence
his great and holy name, and worship at his
footstool.

Fam. The Lord our God is the Creator

24

of the heavens and the earthy and of all things
thereto belonging, whether visible or invisi-
ble^ and to answer the purposes of his wis-
dom and benevolence they are and were cre-
ated.

His all-animating presence pervades, sup-
ports, sustains and connects the whole frame
of nature, and the whole creation is the care
and charge of bis beneficent providence.

God is our refuge and strength, our joy and
hope. If he be for us, we will not fear, though
the earth tremble under our feet, and the
mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be
glad, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth,
to w^hose infallible direction and sovereign
disposal, all the convulsions, commotions and
changes, that happen in the natural or moral
world, are subject. .

He causeth the wrath of man to praise him,
and restraineth the remainder thereof. Pros-
perity and success depend upon his blessing,
and his frown disconcerteth the deepest poli-
cies of men, and turneth their counsels into
foolishness.

Who would not fear thee, O Thou King of
nations ? For to thee doth it appertain to or-
der the circumstances of all mankind, and to
dispense blessings or calamities among the
inhabitants of the earth.

Thou, even Thou, O Lord God Omnipo-
tent, art to be feared, and who can stand ia
thy sight when once thou art angry?

When we suffer thy terrors, we arc dis-
tracted; but the light of thy countenance

25

beams the most lively joy and gladness into
our souls*

Amidst the alternate course of good and
evil, with which this sublunary scene is
chequered, teach us cheerfully to acquiesce
in thy government, and whether our circum-
stances be more or less prosperous or calam-
itous, may the praises of our God always em-
ploy our hearts and tongues.

O Thou Sovereign Power, who regulatest
the wide expanse of heaven, and superintend-
est all the affairs of this lower world, may
Ip thine excellency make us afraid to sin, and
excite us to work out our salvation with fear
and trembling.

Let all the earth stand in awe of thee, and
all the inhabitants of the world bow before
thee with reverence and adoration.

Let all people walk before thee with holy
caution and circumspection, keeping in view
that approaching day of reckoning, when
every one must give an account of himself to
thee.

Happy is the man who feareth always ; but
he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mis-
chief and finally inherit sorrow and trouble.

Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither
be dismayed at their insolence and revilings.
Who art thou, that shouldst be afraid of man,
that shall die, " and of the son of man, that
shall be made as grass,'' and forgettest the
Lord thy Maker, in whom alone thou canst
find unfailing security and everlasting conso-
lation.

Whoso casteth off the fear of the Lord^ and

26

despiseth his commandments shall be destroy,
cd ; but he that standeth in awe of his word,
and obeyeth his holy laws, shall rejoice in
his salvation^ and receive a glorious reward.

EXER. VIII

Confession of sin ^ wih deep contrition^ ac-
comvanied with earnest prayer for pardon^
ing mercy p and with resoliUions of repent-
ance

Mas. Hear our prayer, O God, and heark-
en to the voice of our supplication ; for we
are exceedingly troubled, and our hearts are
disquieted within us, because of our trans-
gressions.

Fam. What shall we say unto thee, O
Thou preserver of men ! We have sinned,
and done evil in the view of thine omniscience,
and are no more worthy to be called thy chil-
dren.

Behold. O Lord, we are vile; we have done
perversely, and been disobedient to thy holy
commandments ; in many things have we of-
fended, and in all, come short of thy glory.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive our-
selves, and the truth is not in us ; but if we
confess and forsake our sins, God is faithful
and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from
all iniquity.

Considering that those who cover their sins
shall not prosper ; but those who confess and
forsake them shall find mercy.

Wherefore let us humble ourselves greatly
before Almighty Grod, giving glory to him
with confessions, supplications, and resolu-
tions of new obedience.

Realizing our sins, we are afraid ; trem-
bling taketh hold of our flesh ; our souls are
oppressed with heaviness, and our hearts are
rent within us.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit
and a contrite heart ; such sacrifices, O God,
thou wilt not despise.

To us, O Lord, belongeth confusion of
face, because we have sinned; but to thee
belong forgiveness.

Be gracious to us, O our God ; cleanse us
from our wickedness, and blot out our trans-
gressions, according to the multitude of thy
tender mercies.

Surely it is meet to be said unto God, we
have borne chastisement ; if we have done
iniquity, we will do no more.

Inspire us, O God, with that godly sorrow,
which worketh repentance unto salvation,
and which shall express itself in fruits meet
for repentance.

Cleanse us and we shall be free, wash us
and we shall be whiter than snow ; make us
to hear the transporting voice of pardoning
mercy, that the bones, which thou hast brok-
en, may rejoice.

Give us a right mind, O most merciful Fa-
ther in heaven, and renew a right spirit
within us ; inspire us with holy resolutions,
and uphold us by thy free spirit.

Then shall our tongues be continually eni-

28

ployed in celebrating thy praises, and we
shall pass the time of our sojourning on earth,
in joyful hope of thy mercy unto eternal life.
May our souls be sprinkled with the blood
of atonement, and clothed with the garments
of salvation, that we may finally come to the
heavenly Zion with songs of everlasting joy
on our heads.

EXEIl, IX.

Expressions of fixed resolutions to 'praise
God on accoiivt of his perfections and pro-
vidence, and of hope and confidence in him.

Mas. My heart is fixed, O God ! my* heart
is fixed, I will sing and give praise, for thy
mercy transcends the highest orb of heaven,
and thy truth reacheth above the skies.

Fam. Awake, up my glory ; awake all the
powers of my soul ; awake and give thanks
unto the Lord, and celebrate the praises of
his goodness, to which I am indebted for life
and all its blessings.

O Lord our God, we will extol and magni-
fy thy loving kindness among the people, and
will triumph in thy mercy ; for thou hast been
our defence and refuge in trouble ; thy pater-
nal arm hath hitherto protected and supported
u«, and thy beneficent hand supplies our daily
returning wants.

We f^^ill ascribe unto thee dominion and
power, for thy providence extends to the ends
of the earthy and the whole family of mankind,

^0

dispersed over the face of the giobe^ arc the
objects of thy paternal care.

We thank th^e, O Grod, for all distinguish,
ing instances of thy goodness and mercy ;
may we manifest the gratitude of our hearts
by the lives of conscientious conformity to
thy holy will.

We beseech thee to hearken to our requests,
and give ear unto our prayer for grace to help
in time of need. For thou art our hope and
our trust, and we would secure ourselves un-
der the wings of thine Almighty patronage,
amidst the dangers and enemies, with which
we may be called to encounter, in the prose-
cution of our christian warfare.

We will always praise the name of the
Lord, and daily perform our vows, and en-
couraged by past experience, will still wait
upon him, and seek his face and favour, im-
ploring the continuation of his merciful re-
gards.

The Lord is our strength and our glory, our
tower of refuge and the rock of our salvation.
We shall not fall while sustained and sup-
ported by his Almighty arm.

If God be for us, who can be against us?
For his power is irresistible, and none eau
stay the operations of his hands.

Let us always put our trust in him ; pour
out our hearts before him; fear him and
keep his commandments, that he may be our
friend in time, and portion through eternity.

Blessed are those whom God is pleased to
bless, they shall inherit the earth ; though
they should fall, they shall rise again ; they
3

80

shall enjoy life and see prosperity, and entail
blessings upon their children and children's
children to the latest generation.

Let us then put our trust in God, and study
to please and to approve ourselves to him,
that we may dwell in the land, and be pros-
perous and happy, under the smiles of his
propitious providence, and transmit an in-
heritance of blessing to posterity.

God hath spoken to us, in his works and
word, and we have heard his voice, pro-
claiming aloud that power, wisdom and good-
ness, are essential and immutable perfections
of his nature.

His omnipotence and sovereignty are never
displayed, but in perfect conformity to eternal
reason and rectitude.

He is no respecter of persons, but in every
nation, he that feareth him and worketh right-
eousness shall be accepted, and he will finally
render to every man according to his works.

We will therefore always adore his gov-
ernment, and make it the principal care of
our lives to know, obey and submit to his
will ; then shall we pass the remainder of
our days in joy and serenity, and, at last,
come to the heavenly Zion, with everlasting
songs of joy and triumph in our mouths.

31

EXER. X.

Good men esteem it their highest felicity to
approach God in acts qficorship^ especiallif
in the services of the sanctuary. ISuitahle
for ISahbath morning.

Mas. O Lord, thou art our God, early will
we seek thee ; our souls thirsteth, yea even
longeth for thee ; and thy favour commands
the most ardent desires of our hearts.

Fam. While many say, who will shew us
any good? we would make this our most
earnest prayer, Lord, lift thou up the light gf
thy countenance upon us.

Blessed is the man, O Lord, whom thou
choosest and causest to approach unto thee.
His soul shall be enriched with heavenly
graces and satisfied with thy goodness.

Give us, we beseech thee, the joy and con-
solation to behold thy power and thy glory in
the sanctuary. There would we adore and
bless tliee while we live, and lift up our hearts
in praise of thy great and holy name.

O Lord, we have loved the habitation of
thine house and the place where thine honour
dwelleth. And we were glad when they said
unto us, let us go into the house of the Lord.

How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord
of hosts ! A day in thy courts is better than
a thousand.

Let us bring the sacrifice of praise into
the house of the Lord, and there rehearse his
righteous and mighty acts. In his temple,
let every man speak of his glory.

ss

We will give thee thanks, O Lord, in the
great congregation, and will praise thee
among the people ; for thou only art worthy
to be celebrated by the supreme and united
adoration of angels and men.

We will pay our homages and our vows
unto the Lord in his sacred courts, in the
presence of all his people.

Let US rejoice in our religious privileges,
and with reverence and sacred awe wait upon
Grcd in the services of the sanctuary, cheer-
fully joining the assembly of saints in public
celebrations of his praises.

And when we devoutly approach to God, in
the institutions and ordinances of his worship,
may our hearts be disposed towards heaven.

May our religious exercises on earth, serve
to advance our preparation for the sublimer
exercises of contemplation and devotion, in
unison with angels and arch-angels, in the
world of glory above.

O thou eternal source of being, intelligence
and moral excellence; we would give thee
hearty thanks for that dignity and pre-emi-
nence of nature whereby we are rendered
capable of contemplation and devotion, and
of oflfering to thee a reasonable and religious
service.

We will rejoice in the Lord, who teacheth
us more than the beasts of the earth, and
niaketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven.

Let us celebrate his glorious perfections,
displayed in the volume of creation and prov-
idence, but more clearly in the sacred pages
of revelation.

33

Let us take diligent heed to the instruc-
tions of his word, and treasure them up in
good and honest hearts, that we may become
wise unto salvation and finally be made
partakers of the inheritance of the saints ia
light.

We will wait upon God in the ordinances
of his house, and there publish with the voice
of thanksgiving and praise his mighty acts ;
and make known his wondrous works of love
and goodness.

Blessed are they who dwell in the house of
the Lord; that behold his beauty in the sanc-
tuary ; that are permitted to inquire in his
temple, and to celebrate his praises in the as-
sembly of the saints.

V

They shall go on from strength to strength,
and make progressive improvements in faith,
piety and holiness, until they are prepared
for the sublime pleasures and supreme felici-
ties of the heavenly Zion.

Let us watch daily at wisdom^s gates, and
wait at the posts of her doors, that we may
grow in the knowledge of Grod and Jesus
Christ his son, whom to know is life eternal.

We will bring the sacrifices of praise into
the house of the Lord ; we will rehearse his
righteous acts, and glorify him in his temple
ou earth, that we may at last be admitted to
the beatific vision of himself in his temple
above.

We will pay our vows and homages to

him, in the presence of all his people. We

will confess our sins, and make supplication

before him in the sacred courts of his house.

3*

3^

Thus saith the Lord, ye shall reverence my
sanctuary ; I will be sanctified by those who
enter my sacred courts, and before all the
people 1 will be glorified.

Blessed is the man, O Lord, whom thou
choosest and causest to approach unto thee ;
he shall be satisfied with thy goodness, and
pass the time of his sojourning on earth in
joy and tranquility.

The light of thy countenance shall beam
perpetual day upon his soul, and aflTord him
joys and pleasures superior to the highest
worldly fruitions.

Thou wilt guide his feet into the path of
the just, which, like the dawning light, in-
creaseth gradually in lustre to the perfect
day.

Kefreshing foretastes of the pleasures of a
celestial paradise will be his consolation and
solace during his present pilgrimage, and
when he enters the eternal world, his soul
will be enraptured with tlie joys of his Lord.

EXER. XL

The majesty, power and beneficent provi-
dence of God^ displayed in the phenomena
and operations of nature

Mas. Praise the Lord, O our souls ; O
Lord our God, thou art exceeding glorious ;
thou coverest thyself with light, as with a
garment, and art clothed with majesty and
honour.

35

Fam. The heavens and the earth exhibit
astonishiug displays of thy power, wisdom
and goodness, and conspire to excite adoring
admiration, and to fill our souls with devo-
tion.

Who is like unto the Lord our God, who
doth whatsoever he pleaseth, in heaven and
on earth, in the seas, and in all deep places?

The sun, the moon and the stars hath he
divided unto all the nations, that dwell upon
the face of the whole earth.

All the elements are turned about by his
counsels, that they may do whatsoever he
commandeth them, in the execution of his
purposes of correction or mercy.

He commandeth the^un, and it riseth not,
and he sealeth up the stars. He turneth the
shadow of death into the morning, and mak-
eth the day dark with night.

He looketh on the earth and it trembleth ;
he toucheth the hills and they smoke.

He ruleth the raging of the sea ; when the
waves thereof arise, he stilleth them, and
setteth a bound that they may not pass over.

God thundereth marvellously with his
voice; he directeth the sound of it under the
whole heaven, and his lightnings unto the
ends of the earth.

The God of glory thundereth upon many
waters ; his voice is powerful and full of ma-
jesty ; it breaketh the cedars, even the cedars
of Lebanon.

He causeth the vapours to ascend ; he mak-
eth lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth
the wind out of his treasures.

36

By the breath of God frost is giveu^ and the
breadth of the waters is straitened; he saith
to the snow, be thou on the earth, and casteth
forth his ice like morsels.

He also blesseth the springing of the earth,
and reneweth the face of nature in the season
thereof; so that the pastures are clothed with
flocks, and the valleys covered with corn.

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,
and herb for the service of man, and crown-
eth the year with his goodness,

O Almighty Sovereign, may we stand in
awe of thy glorious majesty, and may these
instances of thy power and beneficence in the
order and operations of nature, inspire us
with a religious veneration of thy universal
all- disposing providence, and teach us always
to put our trust in thee, and refer ourselves
to thy care and blessing,

O thou cause of all causes, throughout the
whole system of nature, and Supreme His-
poser of events, we would acknowledge thee
in all our ways, beseeching thee for thy
mercy's sake, through our Lord Jesus Christ,
to be our present guardian and friend, and
our final and eternal portion. •Amen.

EXER. XII.

The mind relieved^ in the view of present
promiscuous providences^ by the prospect
of future retributions.

Mas. O Thou Judge of all the earth,
persuaded that thy will is perfect rectitude,

37

we would bow with reverent submission af
Ihy sacred footstool, and adore the dispensa-
tions of thy righteous providence.

Fam. Righteous is the Lord, and upright
are his judgments ; for the work of a man
shall he render unto him, and cause every
man to find according to his ways.

The Lord is of purer eyes than to behold
evil^ and cannot look on iniquity ; wherefore
then doth the wicked prosper, and oppress
the man that is more righteous than himself?

When we consider this, doubts arise, and
we are almost ready to say, verily we have
cleansed our hearts in vain^ and washed our
hands in innocency.

But when we go into the sanctuary of the
Lord, this difficulty is removed ; for there
we learn the future state of the wicked ; that
the displeasure of the Almighty will finally
overtake them.

Though a sinner do often transgress, and
his days be prolonged ; yet surely we know
that it shall be well with them who fear God^
but not with those who disregard him.

Though there be often one event to the
righteous and to the wicked ; yet behold the
day Cometh, when we shall discern between
him who serveth God, and him who serveth
him not ; for verily there is a reward for the
righteous ; verily there is a God who judgeth
in the earth.

God hath appointed a day in which he will
judge the world in righteousness, and render
to every one according to his works.
May we rest in the Lord; and wait pa-

38

tiently for bim ; be not discouraged because
of hinij who prospereth in his way, or the
man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

For evil doers will finally be cut dow^n like
the grass, and wither as the green herb ; but
those who wait upon the Lord shall inherit
the earth, and be glad in his salvation.

Though clouds and darkness sometimes
surround his throne, yet persuaded of the
justice and rectitude of his government, we
will cheerfully acquiesce in his dispensations,
and adore the wisdom and benevolence of his
administrations, amidst all the intricacies of
providence.

Shall mortal man be more just than God ?
Is not my way equal, saith the Lord ? Are
not your ways unequal ? Maa was not made
to question, but adore.

If smiling mercy crown our lives, we will
gratefully celebrate the divine goodness ; and
should adversity be our lot, we will repress
every murmuring thought, and adore the di-
vine justice.

Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
causeth all things to work together for good
to those who love him.

May the Most High impart his grace to
enable us to comply with the methods of his
discipline tow.vds us, in this world, that
mercies and afflictions may conspire to pro-
mote our preparation for glory, honour and
immortality, in the world to come.

And when the present chequered scene of
mortal things shall close upon us, may the
great governor of futurity admit us into bis

39

heavenly paradise, where there are pleasures
to be enjoyed, pure and perfect, unmixed and
uninterrupted, adequate to the capacities and
commensurate with the existence of our im-
mortal spirits.

EXER. XIII.

Penetential confession of sins with hiimhle
2)rayery prompted by encouraging hopes of
the mercy of God unto eternal life.

Mas. Behold, O Lord, we are vile ; what
shall we say unto thee, who art of purer eyes
than to behold evil, and canst not look on in-
iquity.

Fam. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniqui-
ty, O Lord, who shall stand ? But there is for-
giveness with thee.

We will acknowledge our sins unto the
Lord, and our iniquity we deprecate ; con-
fessing our transgressions, and imploring his
pardoning mercy, in the name of Jesus.

Reflecting on our past offences and ingrati-
tude, confusion taketh hold on our spirits,
that causeth us to be ashamed of ourselves.

Let us with profound humility bow before
God and give glory to him, and make confes-
sion, with deep contrition and hearty sorrow.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit ;
a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou
wilt not despise.

It behoves us, with penitence, to lay our
hands on our mouths, and our mouths in the
dust, crying unclean ; and to resolve, for the

40

future, to cleanse our ways, by taking heed
thereto, according to God's holy word.

We will arise and go to our heavenly Fa-
ther, and will say unto him, Father, we have
sinned and done evil in thy sight, and have
forfeited the character of dutiful children ;
we beseech thee to pardon our iniquities, for
they are great.

Who can understand his errors? Cleanse
thou us, O Lord, from secret faults ; keep us
also from presumptuous sins ; let them not
have dominion over us.

Search us. O God, and know our hearts ;
try us, and know our thoughts ; and see if
there be any wicked way in us, and lead us
in the way everlasting,

O thou Universal Parent and Friend of
mankind, have mercy on us, we beseech thee,
and grant us redemption through the blood of
Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, according to
the riches of thy grace.

Blessed is the man, whose transgression is
forgiven ; whose sin is covered, and unto
whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.

Happy, in the assurance which the gospel
gives of pardon, on repentance, let us labour
to subdue each irregular inclination and appe-
tite, to pluck up every vicious habit, and to
acquire that holy character, which is a neces-
sary preparation for the inheritance of the
saints in light.

Rejoicing in the glorious prospect opened
before us into futurity, ty the revelation of
Jesus Christ, let us cast off the works of
darkness, and put on the armour of light.

41

Anticipating the final Euge of our Lord,
may our path be that of the just, which, as
the dawning light, increaseth gradually in
lustre to the perfect day.

We will be steadfast and immoveable, al-
ways abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as we know that our labour shall
not be in vain in the Lord.

EXER. XIV.

Rejoicing in the Lord as a being of trans-
cendent excellence^ whose kind 'providence
watches over us continually for goodj and
fills our hearts with delight and gladness.

Mas. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye right-
eous, for he is good, and his mercy endureth
forever.

Fam. Blessed be the Lord our God, who
is continually loading us with his benefits,
whose providence sustains us from day to
day, and whose unwearied munificence sup*
plies our daily returning wants.

Let us esteem it the noblest employment
of our rational powers and faculties, to cele»
brate the praises of the universal Parent of
good, the Former of our bodies, the Father of
our spirits, and Preserver of our lives.

The transcendent excellencies of his na-
ture demand our sublimest praise, and render
him, at once, the object of the devout admi-
ration and delightful contemplation of all holy
intelligences throughout the whole system of
the creation.

4

43

Let the people praise thee, O God, let all
the people praise thee ; for thou art infinite in
every perfection, and all nations, before thee,
are as a drop of the bucket.

The Lord hath done great things for us,
whereof we are glad ; by his providence the
lines are fallen to us^in a land of light and val-
ley of vision, and we have a goodly heritage.

Amidst a profusion of distinguishing bless-
ings, both civil and religious, he presideth over
the vicissitudes of the seasons, and crowneth
each revolving year with his benediction,
filling our hearts with food and gladness.

He chargeth his guardian providence with
the care of us, both in the busy scenes of the
day, and silent watches of the night, and
causeth the voice of health and prosperity to
resound in our habitations.

The blessings of his goodness alleviate the
cares and assuage the sorrows unavoidably
incident to this state of mortality*

The promises of his grace do also animate
our souls with the liveliest hopes of brighter
scenes, beyond these sublunary climes.

May the incense of praise, therefore, ever
ascend from the altar of our grateful hearts, in
devout ascriptions to the benevolent Author
of our being and enjoyments.

We will still put our trust in the Lord,
who is the confidence of all the ends of the
earth, and of them who are afar off upon
the sea.

The Lord is our portion, therefore will we
hope in him. He is our strong habitation,
whereunto we may continually resort.

43

Our souls wait thou upon God ; cast our
cares upon him, and be of good courage, and
he will strengthen our hearts^ and visit us
with salvation.

In all our ways acknowledge God, and he
will direct our paths. Commit our works unto
him, and our thoughts will be established.

Be not anxious for our lives, saying, what
shall we eat ? or, what shall we drink ? or,
wherewithal shall we be clothed ? For our
heavenly Father knoweth that we have need
of these things, and bath promised to bestow
them on those who seek first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness.

EXER. XV.

The goodness of God, especially towards the
righteous, affording them protection and
support, and showering down upon them
blessings innumerable.

Mas. Truly God is good to Israel ; his
mercy is everlasting ; and his truth endureth
to all generations.

Fam. Know ye, that the Lord he is
God ; it is he who made us, and not we our-
selves : We are his people and the sheep of
his pasture.

He ordereth our circumstances in life ; he
maketh poor and maketh rich ; and dispense
eth blessings or calamities among the children
of men, as his infinite wisdom sees fit.

His ears are always open to the cries of the
needy and distressed ; he redeemeth their

44

souls from affliction and death^ and is a very
present help in trouble.

From the inexhaustible stores of his good-
ness he supplies his heritage with the richest
blessings, and causeth them to rejoiee in his
munificence.

He looketh, especially, with a propitious
eye, upon those who fear him, and walk in
the ways of faith and piety, and embraceth
them in the arms of peculiar friendship.

They shall live in honour and reputation ;
their memories shall be blessed ; and their
virtues and worthy actions command the ap-
plause of many generations.

They shall dwell in the secret place of
the Most High, and abide under the shadow
of the Almighty, secure from harm, amidst
the pestilence that walketh in darkness,
and the arrows of destruction that fly at noon
day.

The Lord will be their refuge and fortress,
in all times of danger, and make them safe
under the wings of his protection amidst those
wars and fightings, that spread desolation
and death among the nations.

For the Lord taketh pleasure in those who
fear him, and such as are upright in their way
ai'e his delight ; and no good thing will he
withhold from them.

He will satisfy them with life, crown them
with prosperity, and shower down salvation
upon them, in a constant flow of blessings,
pertaining to time and eternity.

When they call upon him, he will answer
them, will set them on high, and be their

45

portion and refuge, because they know his
name and obey his commands.

All his paths are mercy and truth unto
those who keep his covenant. He will open
to them his good treasure, and compass them
with favour as with a shield.

KXER. XVI.

Celebrating the unrivalled majesty and glory
of God, with expressions of joy and conji-
dence in him.

Mas. O Thou Supreme, Eternal, Self-
existent God, we would bow with humble
adoration at the footstool of thy throne, esteem-
ing it the noblest employment of our rational
faculties to celebrate thy praise.

Fam. Who is like unto the Lord, our
God, who is like unto him, glorious in holi-
ness, venerable in praises, doing wonders.

He is seated on a throne of glory in the
heavens, far exalted above all comprehensions
and comparisons : The whole creation is as
nothing before him.

Who in the heavens can be compared unto
the Lord ? Who among the sons of the mighty
can be likened unto our God.

The Lord our God is great ; there is none
like unto him, neither are there any works
like unto his works.

Though there be that are called gods>
whether in heaven or on earth, yet to us there
is but one God, of whom are all things^ and
4*

46

by whose almighty providence the world is
sustained and governed.

The idols of the heathen, though worship-
ped as gods, are vanity and a lie ; they can-
not do evil, neither is it in them to do good.

But to the Lord our God belongs everlast-
ing strength ; his dominion is universal, and
all the powers of nature, as they were deriv-
ed from him, so they owe their efficacy to his
all-sustaining arm.

The heavens and the earth exhibit bright
evidences of his being, perfections, and active
all-disposing providence.

We will therefore acknowledge him in all
our ways, and in all our affairs and concerns,
wall raise our souls above means and instru-
ments, in devout adorations to the great First
Cause, who alone is uncaused.

We will rejoice in the Lord, who, though
he liveth upon the inexhaustible stock of his
own perfections, and standeth in no need of
the homage and service of angels or men, yet
condescendeth to visit our abodes with his
loving kindness and tender mercies.

We will worship the Lord, who, though he
can receive no benefit from our devotions,
hath, for the promotion of our own best inter-
est, invited and encouraged, yea, command-
ed us, by prayer and supplication together
with thanksgiving, to make our requests td
him.

Our souls, therefore, wait upon God, for
our expectation is from him. Commit our
way unto him, and trust in him, and he shall
bring it to pass.

47

The Lord is our portion, therefore we will
hope ia him. He is our strong habitation,
whereunto we may continually resort.

He whose heart is fixed, trusting in the
Lord, shall be as Mount Zion. In quietness
and confidence shall be his strength ; and be*
cause the Lord is at his right hand, he shall
not be moved.

By patient continuance in well doing, let
us endeavour to approve ourselves unto God,
our Creator and Preserver ; then will he be
our friendly guide and support through life,
and finally crown us with the rewards of
good and faithful servants.

EXER. xvn.

Faith in God^ and Ids Son Jesus Christy and
the ivay to increase and strengthen it.

Mas. Let us draw near unto God with a
true heart, in full assurance of faith, casting
all our cares upon him, that we may obtain
grace to help in time of need.

Fam. For he, who cometh unto God, must
believe that he is ; and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him.

And this is his commandment, that we be-
lieve on the name of his tSon Jesus Christ,
who himself hath also said unto us, ye believe
in God, believe also in me.

Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye
be established ; believe his prophets, so shall
ye prosper; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and ye shall be saved.

48

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering, and always be upon our
guard against the snares of infidelity and the
insidious arts of the advocates of impiety and
wickedness.

We will take heed, lest there be in any of
us an evil heart of unbelief, inclining us to
depart from the living God, and to cast off
his laws.

We will wait upon him in the ordinances
of his house, watching daily at wisdom's
gates, and waiting at the posts of her doors.

We will attend to the glorious light of the
gospel, as to a light shining in a dark place,
giving us clear information respecting the
way to eternal life and salvation.

This is the condemnation, that light has
come into the world, and men have loved
darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil.

Let us walk as children of the light and of
the day, that we may not fall under this con-
demnation.

Faith Cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God ; but the word preached
doth not profit, if it be not mixed with faith
in those who hear it.

A man is justified by faith ; but the faith
that justifies, works by love, and is made
perfect by works.

Let us remember, that as the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith without works is
dead also.

Let us, therefore, add to our faith the
graceis and virtues of a christian life ; for if,

49

while we seek to be justified by faith, we are
found unreformed sinners^ our faith cannot
save us.

Let us always bear in mind the following
declaration of our blessed Lord, ^^ Whosoever
shall confess me before men, him will I con-
fess also before my Father who is in heaven ;
but whosoever shall deny me before men,
him will I also deny before my Father, who
is in heaven/^

Lord, we believe ; help thou our unbelief,
and increase our faith ; that we may be of
the mumber of those, that believe unto right-
eousness and salvation.

EXER. XVIIL

The brevity of human life^ the certainty of
deaths and assurance of a resurrection ^
adapted to occasions of mortality.

Mas. Behold, O Lord, thou hast made
our days an hand-breadth, and our age is as
nothing before thee ; and every man at his
best estate is altogether vanity.

Fam. Here we have no continuing city, but
are strangers and sojourners before the Lord.
For what is our life? It is evtn a vapour
that appeareth for a moment, and then van-
isheth away.

Upon the wings of each revolving day, tlie
important hour is approaching with swiftest
speed, when our own experience will teach
us the full import of that judicial sentence,
Dust thou art^ and unto dust thou shalt return.

50

What man is he that liveth aad shall not
see death? And who shall deliver his soul
from the hand of the grave ?

There is no man that hath power over the
spirit to retain the spirit in the day of death ;
and there is no discharge in that war.

The days of man are determined; the num-
ber of his months is with the Lord ; he hath
appointed his bounds, that he cannot pass.

Let us rejoice in the revelation of Jesus
Christ, which gives us assurance, of a resur-
rection from the dead, and opens to view glo-
rious prospects into futurity.

Blessed be God, that as by man came death,
by man also came the resurrection of the
dead ; that as in Adam all die^ even so in
Christ shall all be made alive.

Under the apprehensions of mortality and
the approaching period of all sublunary joys,
let us solace our spirits by contemplations on
that life and immortality, which the gospel
bath brought to light.

We will rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is the resurrection and the life ; for he
hath abolished death, and will ransom us
from the power of the grave ; and because he
lives, we shall ?ive also.

When he shall descend from heaven, with
power and great glory, to judge the world in
righteousness, then all that are in their graves
shall come forth, and he will gather the right-
eous of all nations from the four winds^ from
the uttermost part of the earth to the utter-
most part of heaven.

At that day the Lord Jesus Christ shall

51

change our vile body, that it may be fashion*
ed like unto his glorious body. It is sown in
corruption, dishonour and weakness, but it
shall be raised in ineorruption, glory and
power.

It is sown a natural body, but it shall be
raised a spiritual body ; and as we have borne
the image of the first man, who was of the
earth earthy, we shall also bear the image of
the second man, who is the Lord from heaven.

Neither shall we die any more, for we shall
be like the angels of God in heaven, and with
them be wrapt in the embraces of a glorious
immortality.

Supported by this blessed hope, animated
by these reviving prospects, let us be stead-
fast and immoveable, always abounding in
the works of the Lord.

Then shall we have joy in believing, and
in the near view of death, be able to triumph,
and say, O death, where is thy sting ! O
grave, where is thy victory ! Thanks be to
trod, who hath given us the victory, through
Jesus Christ.

EXER. XIX.

The amazing condescension of God display-

ed in his goodness to men, especially in

the blessings of the new covenant.

Mas, O Thou incomprehensible Jehovah,

whose infinite perfections are inscribed in

signatures indelible, upon every part of the

stupendous fabric of the world ; when we

52

reflect upon our own meanness and unworthi-
ness, we blush and are ashamed to lift up
our faces towards heaven.

jpam. Thou humblest thyself to take notice
of the exalted services of the heavenly hosts ;
thy glory dazzles the light of the sun ; thou
lookest to the moon^ and it shineth not^ and
the stars are not pure in thy sight.

What is man that thou art mindful of him ?
or the sons of men, who have their foundation
in the dust, and dwell in houses of clay, that
thou visitest them?

Cloathed with light as with a garment, thou
appearest in the heavens in the brightest efful-
geuce of infinite excellence and perfection,
amidst angels and arch-angels, and thousands
of holy and happy intelligences, who are con-
tinually celebrating Jhy praises, in the most
exalted strains of sacred devotion.

We rejoice, that though we cannot attain
to the exalted strains of the heavenly hosts in
their devotions, yet we are permitted to join
our sincere though fainter voices, and bear a
part in the celestial harmony.

With devout admiration we would adore
the condescension of the great Sovereign of
the universe, in stooping from his throne of
glory in the heavens, to bestow his compas-
sionate regards upon us, vile dust and ashes,
who reside on his footstool here below.

We will rejoice in the Lord, who. notwith-
standing our own insignificance, graciously
vouchsafes to visit our abodes with his loving
kindnesses and tender mercies.

Blessed be Grod, who hath not only given

53

us being, but also provided for our well
being, both in this world, and that which is to
come. Let us therefore praise his holy name
forever.

May w« always feel our obligations to the
source of all being and happiness ; the Former
of our bodies, and the Father of our spirits,
and the Preserver of our lives, who is daily
showering down upon us a rich variety of
blessings calculated to promote the joys of
life-
Let us especially render him our most
hearty thanks, that be hath been pleased, in
the riches of his grace, through the mediation
of his only begotten Son, our blessed Lord
and Saviour, to make provision for our de-
liverance from guilt and condemnation, and
advancement to the supreme and everlasting
felicity in the world of glory.

Let us give glory to God in the highest for
the blessings of the new covenant, revealed
and offered to us in the gospel.

Blessed are they who hear the joyful
sound of the gospel, and are made acquainted
with the glad tidings of salvation through a
lledeemer.

The glorious prospects opened before them
into futurity, are calculated to alleviate the
cares, and assuage the sorrows inseparable
from this state of mortality.

Rejoicing in the rock of our salvation, let
us alvva^ . endeavour to make suitable returns
of gra^'t fl^^ nd obedience, for all the wonders
of love uiid goodness, displayed in the glori-
ous work of man^s redemption.
5

5*

Actuated by that faith which is the sub
stance of things hoped for, and the evidence
of things not seen, let us live up to our glori-
ous privileges and sublime hopes.

Thus shall we best promote the designs of
divine grace and mercy towards us, until,
being fitted and prepared therefor, we shall
be admitted into the blissful mansions of the
skies, where we shall be infinitely more
happy, than it is possible to be, in the best
condition on earth.

EXER. XX.

The wonderful displays of the perfections
and providence of God^ conspicuous in the
heavens and earthy and the necessity of sin-
cerity to make our prayers acceptable.

Mas. Praise ye the Lord, for he is great ;
his power is irresistible ; his wisdom is in-
finite ; and his mercy, boundless as immen-
sity, endureth forever.

Fam. His throne is exalted above the
heavens, and the earth is his footstool, and he
has an unalienable right to the supreme wor-
ship and adoration of all intelligent creatures.

Universal nature, through all her works,
exhibits irresistible evidence of the suprema-
cy, glorious majesty, and transcendent wis-
dom and goodness of the everlasting Jehovah.

He rideth in his excellency on the skies,
presideth over the vicissitudes of the seasons,
and regulateth the wheels of each revolving
year.

5S'

The ordinances of heaven are subject to
his control, and the stars in their courses are
the ministers of his providence.

He sendeth forth his commandment, his
word runneth swiftly ; he giveth snow like
wool, scattereth the hoar frost like ashes, and
casteth forth his ice like morsels.

Again he sendeth out his word and melteth
them ; he dissoiveth the frost with warm
gales of the south, and the waters flow and
swell the rivers.

He unbindeth the sweet influences of Pleia-
des, and looseth the bonds of Orion.

The tempest is his breath ; the thunder
hurled tremendous, shakes the wilderness ;
the mountains tremble, and atheists stand
aghast.

God thundereth marvellously with his
voice ; he directeth the sound of it under the
whole heaven, and his lightnings unto the
ends of the earth.

He causeth the vapours to ascend ; cover-
etli the heavens with clouds ; prepareth rain
for the earth; and maketh grass to grow upon
the mountains.

By his providence the pastures are clothed
with flocks, and the vallies covered with
corn ; they shout for joy, they also sing.

He crowneth the year with his goodness,
and his paths drop marrow and fatness.

We will celebrate the praises of his power
and goodness, displayed in the heavens and
earth, through each revolving year, and will
gratefully recognize his marvellous loving
kindness to the children of men.

Blessed be the universal parent and friend
of mankind, for those innumerable blessings
unmerited, freely bestowed, which he is con-
tinually showering down upon us.

Let us make it our constant devout inquiry,
%vhat we shall render to the Lord for all his
benefits ; and endeavour in all our ways to
please him, that we may still be happy in his
favour, and always rejoice in his salvation.

Therefore we esteem it reasonable in some
solemn manner, daily to prostrate ourselves
before the supreme Lord of heaven and earth,
to implore his pardoning mercy and grace to
fulfil his will.

Though by sin we have forfeited the char-
acter of his children, yet he is graciously
pleased to allow us to call him our father, and
to treat us with paternal kindness and mercy.

Notwithstanding our unworthiness, he hath
invited and encouraged us to maintain a sa-
cred intercourse with heaven, by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving.

Relying on his gracious indulgence, con-
fiding in his promises, we will daily seek his
face and favour, and implore all needed bless-
ings, pertaining to time and eternity.

O thou Father of lights, who givest to all
Inen liberally, conscious of our lack of wis-
dom, we refer ourselves to thy guidance, be-
seeching thee to shew us the path of life, and
make us wise unto salvation.

Let us remember that in order to render
our external devotions an acceptable service
unto God, they must be accompanied with pu-
rity of heart, and holy obedience unto life.

57

For, unto men of unhallowed hearts and
lives, God saith, What have ye to declare my
statutes, or that ye should take my covenant
in your mouths ? Your sacrifices are an abom-
ination.

God is a spirit ; and those who worship
him, must worship him in spirit and truth.

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ?
And who shall stand in his holy place ?

He who hath clean handstand a pure heart;
who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
nor sworn deceitfully.

All the paths of the Lord are mercy and
truth unto those who Tceep his testimonies ;
he will guide and shew them the way of life
and|happiness.

They shall receive the blessing from the
Lord, and righteousness from the God of
their salvation.

Lead us in thy truth, and teach us, O Lord,^
for thou art the God of our salvation. Keep
our souls and deliver us ; let integrity and
uprightness preserve us ; for we wait on thee.

EXER. XXL

Sincerity in religion made the subject of ear-
nest jprayer and exhortation^ calculated to

. promote the christian temper of candor
and charity.

Mas. O THOU Father of lights, we beseech
thee to irradiate our understandings with the
beams of heavenly wisdom, and may our
souls be inspired with dispositions of rever-

5*

ence, gratitude^ and devotion 5 of purity, lia^
mility, and charity.

Fam. May the great Father of spirits, and
source of all gracious influence, impress our
souls with a reverential fear of himself, and
shed abroad his love in our hearts.

Animated by the noblest motives, and ac-
tuated by the best principles, may we with
sincerity and persevering constancy, apply
ourselves to every branch of duty.

Whatsoever we do, let us do it heartily as
to the Lord and not unto men ; for mau
looketh to the outward appearance, but God
looketh to the heart.

Cleave unto the Lord your God, and serve
him in sincerity and truth, with a perfect
heart, and with a willing mind, and with a
pure conscience.

Let us walk before him in uprightness and

integrity of heart ; for his eye searches us

throughout, and our most secret designs and

' intentions are naked and open to the view of

his omniscience.

Who is a wise man, and endued with
knowledge among you ? Let him show out of.
a good conscience his works, with meekness
of wisdom, without partiality and without
hypocrisy.

The ways of those, who forg^ God, are
misery and destruction, and the hypocrite^s
hope shall perish.

Let every man prove his own work ; then
shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and
his soul shall be cheered with serene reflec-
fionnu

Behold^ O God, thou desireth truth iu the
inward parts ; therefore I will not remove
my integrity ; my heart shall nor reproach
me so long as I live.

He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely;
for if there be a willing mind, to do j ustice, love
mercy^ and walk humbly, it will be accepted.

May we not imitate those, who make use of
religion as a cloak to cover their evil designs*
For behold, their joy is but for a moment,
and their expectation shall be cut off.

Who can understand his errors ? Cleanse
us, O Lord from secret faults. Keep back
thy servants also from presumptuous sins ;
then shall we be upright before thee, and re-
joice in conscious integrity.

Search us, O God^ and know our thoughts ;
reclaim us from every evil way, and lead us
in the way everlasting.

O thou Father of mercies, and eternal
source of joy and consolation, we beseech
thee to inspire our souls with that spirit of
charity and candour, which is the brightest
resemblance of thy benevolent nature, and the
most glorious ornament of a christian.

We ourselves are taught of God to love
one another ; for this commandment have we
from him, that he who loveth God, lovcth his
brother also.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbcmr, but
is kind and beneficent to all, ready to distri-
bute, willing to communicate ; therefore love
is the fulfilling of the law.

Above all things, let us have fervent chari-
ty among ourselves ; for charity maketh can-

60

did allowance for human frailties and inflrmi
ties, and covereth a multitude of sins.

Judge not that ye be not judged ; for with
what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged,
and with what measure ye mete it shall be
measured to you again.

l^^harity thinketh no evil ; it harboureth
no private grudges or unreasonable suspi-
cions ; it believeth and hopeth all things as
candour dictates, putting the most favourable
construction on men's words and actions.

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle ?
He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor
laketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

Whoso watcheth for iniquity shall be cut
off ; and what confidence can any one have
in the day of the Lord, who maketh his
brother an offender for a word ? Such shall
not inherit his kingdom.

Thou art inexcusable, O man that judgest,
when thou that judgest dost the same things ;
for wherein thou judgest another thou con-
demnest thyself.

Every man must answer for himself, before
the Judge of all the earth, who will bring to
light the hidden things of darkness, and
make manifest the counsels of all hearts ;
then shall every man, who hath done well,
have praise and honour, but infamy shall fall
upon the workers of iniquity.

May our souls be inspired with christian
candour and charity, and our lives be regulat-
ed by the sublime" maxims of the gospel; then
we shall see the salvation of God, and be
able to lilt up our faces with joy and confi-

61

deuce, nt the day of the revelation of his
righteous judgment.

EXER. XXII.

Calculated^ like the immediately jireceding, ta
promote love and friendshijJ and universal
benevolence^ and the importance and ad-
vantage of iDivine Revelation.
Mas, O Thou God of love and peace,
inspire us, we beseech thee, with the heavenly
dispositions of benevolence and friendship,
and, according to the measure of our capaci-
ties, may we be imitators of thy goodness, as
we^lmve opportunity.

Fam. O our Father in heaven, may it please
thee to divest us of a spirit of pride, envy
and malevolence, and to endue us with that
christian temper of charity, which shall flow
in the perpetual streams of beneficence toward
one another and toward all around us.

Teach us, O Lord, to preserve the honours,
and perform the duties belonging to every
one, in their several stations and relations, as
superiors, inferiors, or equals.

Then shall our lot in life be sweetened
with domestic harmony, joy and comfort, and
we shall be happy in the reciprocal embraces
of mutual affection,

Kejoicing with those who rejoice, and
weeping with those who weep, we shall know
then by happy experience, how good and
pleasant it is for brethren iq dwell together
in unity.

63

May the God of patience and consolation
grant us to be like minded one toward another,
that we may with one heart glorify him
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The wisdom that is from above, averse to
envying, strife, and vain glory, is peaceable,
gentle, and easy to be entreated ; full of
mercy and good fruits, without partiality and
without hypocrisy.

With sympathetic feelings, it participates
in the joys and sorrows that alternately mark
the lot of humanity, and is always ready, as
far as possible, to mitigate the woes of the
afflicted and distressed.

What man is he who loveth life, and wish-
eth to see good days, let him avoid the paths
of guile and hypocrisy, and follow after the
things that make for peace, shewing meek-
ness and good will to all men.

Let every man study to be quiet, and attend
to his own business, endeavouring to keep the
unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

For there is one Lord, one faith, one bap-
tism, one God and Father of all ; and all
men are brethren and partakers of the same
common nature, though widely dispersed over
the face of the earth.

And ^' God to all whose friendly hearts

^^ With mutual love abound,
^^ Hath firmly promised length of days,
^^ With constant blessings crownM.*^

O thou universal Parent and Preserver of
men, in order to expand and improve our be-
nevolence, we humbly implore thy blessing

63

upon the great family of human kind in all
their dispersions through the four quarters of
the globe*

God hath made of one blood all nations
of the earth ; and though he hath dispensed
his blessings among them in various and dif-
ferent proportions, yet he hath not left auy of
them without a witness of his goodness.

Blessed be his name that he hath been
pleased, according to the counsels of his un-
searchable wisdom, to raise us above the gen-
erality of our fellow creatures, in regard to
the privileges, advantages and enjoyments,
both civil and religious.

While we adore his goodness for all distin-
guishing blessings, let us devoutly pray that,
in his own due time all the nations of the
earth, from the rising to the setting sun, may
share with us in the blessings of outward
peace and prosperity, of rational liberty and
good civil government, in connection with the
blessings of evangelical light and grace,
which are our greatest glory and felicity.

O thou eternal source of wisdom and know-
ledge, we rejoice in all the discoveries which
thou hast made to us of thyself, in thy works,
and in thy word ; and we humbly implore thy
guidance and direction in all important con-
cernments.

We return thee our most hearty thanks,
that thou hast not confined us to the book of
nature, but hast opened before us the sacred
volume of thy word, wherein we are clearly
taught how we may escape the wrath to come^,
and inherit eternal life.

64

Though we can in many cases judge, even
of ourselves, what is right, our consciences
bearing witness to what is good or evil, yet
we are not a sufficient law to ourselves, but
stand in need of divine illumination.

For, without the aid of revelation, the law
written on our hearts is not able to give us a
full knowledge of that good, acceptable and
perfect will of God, which is necessary to
shew us the path of life, and lead us in the
way everlasting.

Blessed be God for the glorious light of
revelation, shining in the sacred pages of the
Old and New Testament, which amply sup-
plies the deficiencies of the light of nature,
and is able to instruct us in the way of holy
and happy living.

Let us search the scriptures daily, since
they are profitable for doctrine, reproof, cor-
rection, instruction, and sufficient to make us
wise to salvation.

While we rejoice in the doctrine of salva-
tion, which was spoken by the Lord, and was
confirmed by them who heard him, let us take
heed that we do not fall under the condemna-
tion of those, who love darkness rather than
light, because their deeds are evil.

EXER. XXIIL

Confession^ supplication and confidence in
God^ adapted also for Sabbath murning.

Mas. Unto thee, Almigiity Uou, do we
lift up our hearts j trusting in thee we shall

65

not be ashamed or confounded, neither shall
any sin or temptation triumph over us.

Fam. For all those, who hope in thee,
will not be ashamed, but those who transgress
without a cause, shall be put to confusion.

Shew us thy ways, O Lord, and teach us
thy paths ; lead us in thy truth and righte-
ousness, for thou art the Grod of our salva-
tion ; on thee do we wait all the day.

Remember not the sins and transgressions
of our youth, but according to thy mercy,
which has ever been of old, remember thou
us for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

(xood and perfect are thy laws ; therefore
thou wilt teach sinners in the way ; the meek
thou wilt guide in judgment, and those, who
are humble, will obey thy commands.

All thy paths. Lord, are mercy and truth ;
and those, who endeavour to keep thy cove-
nant and testimonies, will receive thy bless-
ing.

Those who adhere to thy precepts, thou
wilt strengthen in their ways ; their souls
will receive comfort, and their offspring will
inherit the earth.

Though by frailty they may fall, they will
not be forsaken, for thou wilt be their support,
and the wholesome defence of thine anointed.

Turn thou us, O Lord, and have mercy
upon us for we are desolate and afflicted ;
the sorrows of our hearts are enlarged. O
rescue us from dangers that surround us.

Look on our adversity and misery, and par-
don our sins. Keep our souls, and deliver us
from trouble ; then we shall not be confound-
6

66

ed, but our trust and confidence shall be iu
thy word.

Examine and prove us, O Lord ; try our
reins and our hearts. Experiencing thy
loving kindness^ we will endeavour to walk
in thy truth.

We will not sit with vain persons neither
have fellowship with dissemblers^ in whose
hands are mischief and deceit.

We will wash our hands in innocency,
and compass thine altar, to acknowledge thy
mercy with thanksgiving, and tell of all thy
wondrous works.

Lord may we love the habitation of thine
house, and the place where thine honour
dwelleth. Our feet shall stand in an even
place. In the congregation we will bless the
Lord.

Thou being our light and salvation^ whom
then need we fear? The Lord is the strength
of our life ; of whom then shall we be afraid ?

Though an host of enemies should encamp
against us^ our hearts will not be dismayed :
Though war should rise against us^ in this
we will be confident.

One thing do we desire of the Lord ; that
we may dwell in his house^ to behold its
order, and to celebrate his great and holy
name.

When thou saidst, seek ye my face, our
hearts would devoutly reply, thy face, Lord,
we will seek.

For thou, O Lord, hast been our shield
and defence when our friends and kindred
forsook us, and when false witnesses, and

67

those who breathed out cruelty, appeared
against us, thou didst support and strengthen
our hearts.

Therefore we will wait on the Lord in his
sanctuary, and be of good courage. He will
guide our feet in the paths of righteousness,
for his name sake.

EXER. XXIV.

Diligence and Contentment.

Our Father, who art in heaven, teach us,
we beseech thee, in our several stations and
relations, to prosecute the service required
of us with diligence and contentment.

Let every man labour, working with his
hand the thing, which is good ; that he may
have to give to him that needeth.

Be not slothful in business ; for the waj^ of
the slothful man is an hedge of thorns, and
the end thereof is poverty and disgrace.

The thoughts of the diligent tend to plente-
ousness ; but he that is slothful in his work,
is brother to him that is a great waster.

A good man with assiduous labour provid-
eth for the welfare of his family, and a virtu-
ous woman looketh well to the ways of her
household, and eateth not the bread of idle-
ness.

The hand of the diligent maketh rich, but
the soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath
nothing.

Seeth thou a man diligent in business ? He
shall stand before kings ; he shall not stand
before mean men.

68

Let every man abide iu the calling where-
in he is called ; and having food and raiment
convenient for us, let us take heed, lest at
any time our hearts be overcharged with vex-
atious cares and unavailing anxieties.

Let us not too much solicit ourselves about
what we shall eat, or what we shall driuk, or
wherewithal we shall be clothed ; but let us
make it our first care to lay up treasures in
heaven, in confidence that our heavenly Fa-
ther, who knoweth that we have need of such
temporal good things, will bestow them in
competent supplies.

Let us learn, in whatsoever state we are,
therewith to be content, and endeavour to use
this world as not abusing it, since the fashion
of it passeth away.

Let your conversation be without anxiety,
and be content with such things as ye have,
for God hath said, I will never leave nor
forsake thee.

Let us take heed and beware of covetous-
ness ; for a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things he possesseth. God-
liness with contentment is great gain ; for we
brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out.

Better is a little with the fear of the Lord^
than great treasure and trouble therewith ;
for what is a man profited if he gain the whole
world and lose his own soul.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth aud rust doth corrupt, but lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven ; for where
your treasure is there will your heart be also.

69

O Lord, order our outward circumstances
in such a manner, as thou seest to be best for
us, and teach us to demean ourselves as we
ought in every condition, and may all provi-
dences, whether favourable or calamitous,
work together for our good.

Then may we hope that the remaining days
of our pilgrimage on earth, may be crowned
with joy and serenity, and that we shall final-
ly realize those glorious scenes, and solacing
anticipations, in the climes above, of which
the gospel now gives the most animating
prospects.

EXER. XXV.

On Divine Goodness.

i. Mas^ Almighty God, the heavens de-
clare thy glory, and the firmament she weth
thine handy work, day unto day uttereth
speech, and night unto night, thy knowledge.

2. Fam. There is neither speech nor lan-
guage but thy voice is heard, and the opera-
tions of nature are universally before us.

3. Thou ordaineth a tabernacle for the sun^
which Cometh forth as a bridegroom from his
chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his
course.

4. His going forth is from the end of heav-
en, and his circuit unto the ends of the earth,
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

5. O Lord, our Governor, how excellent
is thy name in all the earth, and thy glory
above the heavens ; considering the works of

6^

?0

thy finger^ the moon and stars, (hou hast ot-
dainetl.

6. It behoves us devoutly to enquire, Lord
what is man that thou art mindful of him^ or
the son of man that thou visiteth him ?

7. Thou hast permitted him to have domin-
ion over the works of thine hands and put all
things in subjection to him.

8. All sheep and oxen : The fowls of the
air, the fish of the sea, and whatsoever walk-
eth through the paths of the sea, all acknowl-
edge thy support and protection,

9. The children of men unite in celebrat-
ing thy wondrous works, they abundantly ut-
ter the memory of thy goodness, and sing of
thy righteousness.

10. Thou Lord art gracious and merciful,
long suffering and of great goodness, and thy
tender mercies are over all thy works.

1 1. Almighty Creator, thy power, thy glory
and the mightiness of thy kingdom are known
unto men, thy kingdom is everlasting, and
tiiy dominion endureth throughout all ages.

i2. Thou openest thine baud, and satisfieth
the desire of every living thing, and art nigh
unto all those who faithfully call upon thee.

13. Thou wilt fulfil their desire, will at-
tend to their prayer, and grant their request.
Our mouths therefore shall speak the praises
of the Lord, and let all flesh render thanks to
his great and holy name.

14. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be
ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, that the
king of glory may come in.

15. Who is the king of glory? It is the

1

71

Lord, strong and mighty, even the Lord,
mighty in battle.

16. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and
be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, that the
king of glory may come in.

17. His name will endure for ever, and
continue as long as the sun. All nations do
call him blessed, and the whole earth be fill-
ed with his glory.

EXER. XXVL

Peculiarly adapted for the young.

Remember now thy Creator in the days
of thy youth, that your mind may be stored
with treasures of comfort, before the evil
days of old age come on, wherein your relish
for earthly pleasures, and worldly delights,
will cease, and be no more.

Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near; and hearken
diligently to the voice of wisdom, which ad-
dresses you in that language : ^^ I love them
who love me, and they who seek me early
shall find me.'^

What is your life? A vapour which ap-
peareth for a moment, and then vanisheth
away. Teach us, O Lord, so to number our
days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom.

Behold, O Lord, thou hast made our days
an hand-breadth, and our age as nothing be-
fore thee ; every man, at his best estafe, is
altogether vanity. May the God of the spirits

72

of all flesh, cause us to know our end, and
the measure of our days, what it is, that we
may know how frail we are.

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and
let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy
youth, and walk in the imagination of thy
heart and the sight of thine eyes, but know
thou, that for all these things, God will bring
thee into judgment.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom, the ways whereof are ways of pleas-
antness, and all her paths peace.

Say not, ^^ We are young; religion is too
grave a business for our sprightly age ; we
will wait for a more convenient season,^^ for
the bloom of youth is no security against the
invasion of mortal sickness, or the stroke of
death ; and you know not what a day may
bring forth.

May young people consider, that now^ in a
peculiar sense, is the accepted time, and the
day of salvation ; and that, should their lives
be protracted to advanced age, they will never
have a more convenient season to engage
in the business of religion than the present.

May the grace of God temper and moder-
ate the gaieties of their volatile age, and in-
duce them to be sober minded, and to conse-
crate their blooming spring to religion and
virtue ; then shall they receive a rich harvest
of joys and comforts in the autumn of life,
should they attain to it.

May a consideration of God^s omniscience
be a constant restraint upon inexperienced
youth; and dispose them to repel temptatiuns,

in the language of Joseph — " How can 1 do
this wickedness, and sin against God.^^

^^ Reduce, O Lord their wandering minds,

Amus'd with airy dreams,
That heavenly wisdom may dispel,

Their visionary schemes.'^

Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his
way ? By taking heed thereto, according to
God's word, and keeping his ordinances and
precepts-
Early habits of piety and virtue, like new
clothes on a young and comely body, set very
gracefully on a young mind, and add peculiar
beauties to it.

Such habits are robes of glory to blooming
youth ; like ornaments of grace about their
heads, and chains of gold about their necks.
Flee youthful follies and vanities, and
serve the Lord with a perfect heart and wil-
ling mind, hearkening to the doctrines of his
word, and teachings of his ministers ; lest
you mourn at last, when your flesh and your
heart are consumed, and say, " How have we
hated instruction, and our hearts despised re-
proof/^

O that there were such an heart in them,
that they might fear the Lord, and keep his
commandments always ; then would it be
well with them in time and eternity.

^*With holy caution may they walk,
4nd be thy word their guide,

'Till each, the desart safely passed,
On Zion's hill abide.^^

n

Believing the doctrines contained in the sa-
cred pages of the oracles of Irod, receive with
meekness and all readiness of mind the in-
grafted word, which is able to save your
souls.

For the law^ of the Lord is perfect, convert-
ing the soul ; the testimony of the Lord is
sure, making w ise the simple ; his command-
ment is perfect, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring
forever ; the judgment of the Lord is true
and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold ;
sweeter also than honey, or the honeycomb,
for by them are thy servants warned, and iu
keeping them there is great reward.

EXER. XXV IL

The righteous and wicked compared.

1. O THOU Supreme Lord of Heaven
and earth, we adore Thee, as the righteous
Judge of the world, who, without respect to
persons, will bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether it be good,
or whether it be evil.

S. In every nation he that feareth God and
worketh righteousness is accepted of him ;
but the wicked are objects of his displeasure,
and are exposed to the awful effects of his
angry resentments.

75

3. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be
well with them, for they shall eat of the fruit
of their cloiugs. Woe unto the wicked, it
shall be ill wilh him, for the reward of his
hands shall be given him.

4i. The righteous are delivered out of trou-
ble, and the wicked are snared in the work
of their hands ; for God will not cast away
the upright man, neither will he embrace evil
doers in the arms of favour.

3. The fear of the Lord is wisdom and
understanding; but wiekedness is madnes$
and folly.

6. Many sorrows shall attend the wicked
in all their ways, but mercy shall compass
him about, who feareth God and keepeth his
commandments.

7. Light is sown for the righteous, and
gladness for the upright in heart ; but the
way of the wicked is darkness, and their
path leadeth to misery and destruction.

8. He that walketh uprightly, walketh
surely; the Lord will bless his habitation;
but he that perverteth his way shall stumble
and fall, and the displeasure of the Almighty
shall be upon his house.

9. He that keepeth the commandment
keepeth his own soul, and his memory is
blessed ; but he that despiseth the command-
ment shall die, and the memory of the wick-
ed perisheth.

10. They who fear and serve the Lord, are
precious in his sight, and honourable ; but
the workers of iniquity are vile, and are an
abominatioQ la his sight.

i

76

i 1. The fear of the Lord prolongeth days,
and the desire of the righteous shall be satis-
fied ; but the wicked is driven away in his
wickedness, and his years shall be short
ened.

12. When it goeth well with the righteou
the city rejoiceth ; and when the wicke
perish they are soon forgotten.

13. When the Son of man shall come in
his glory, and all the holy angels with him,
then shall be gathered before him all nations,
and he shall separate them one from another^
as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats.

14. Then shall he say to the righteous,
Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the founda-
tion of the world ; and to the wicked, Depart '
from me, I know you not, ye workers of
iniquity.

15. Teach us, O liOrd, as becometh wise
men to look diligently into the consequences
of actions, and may a consideration of the
very diflFerent issues of a virtuous and a
vicious course, deter us from the latter, and
engage us in the former.

16. Let us keep in view that great day of
reckoning, when we must give an account
unto Grod, and order our conversation with a
proper regard thereto, that we may meet his
final approbation, and obtain his gracious ac-
ceptance, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

77

EXER. XXVIII.

Suitable for Christmas morning. On the
incarnation of Christy and merciful design
of his advent into the world.

Mas. O Thou God of love, with thank-
ful hearts we would rejoice in all the displays
and exercises of thy marvellous grace and
mercy towards fallen man.

Fam. Blessed be thy name, that when
the first parents of the human race were cast
out of paradise for violating thy holy cov-
enant, thou wast pleased in order to encour-
age their hopes in thy mercy, to make that
reviving promise, '^ The seed of the woman
shall bruise the serpent's head/^

Let us give glory to God in the highest,
that when the fulness of time was come, the
promised seed of the w^oman made his apear-
ance in this world; through whom ihere is
peace on earth and good will towards men.

The word was made flesh and dwelt among
us, and we beheld his glory, in his heavenly
doctrines and miraculous works ; the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and truth.

In this was manifested the love of God to-
wards us, because that God sent his only be-
gotten son into the world, to be a propitiation
for our sins that we might live through him.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ; who hath visited and redeemed
7

78

his people, and raised up for them an horn of
salvation in the house of his servant David,
according to the good pleasure of his will, to
the praise of the glory of his grace.

And thus hath performed the mercy prom-
ised to our fathers of old, and remembered
his gracious covenant, which he had declar-
ed by the mouth of his holy prophets, since
the world began.

Our souls will magnify the Lord and re-
joice in God our Saviour, who came into the
world to deliver us from guilt and condemna-
tion, and work out eternal salvation for us.

May our bosoms glow with ardent emotions
of gratitude, when we recollect, that unto us
a child was born, unto us a son was given,
whose name was Wonderful, Counsellor, Im-
manuel, the Prince of Peace, who came to
save his people from their sins.

O most merciful Father in heaven, imprint
we beseech thee upon our hearts, the greaf'
doctrines, important instructions and momen
tons truths of thy word by thy Son.

With adoring admiration, therefore, we
would celebrate his condescending goodness,
in becoming incarnate, on purpose that he
might live among us as a divine teacher and
instructor, and finally make his soul an oflfer-
ing for sin.

Divesting himself for a season of the glory
which he had with the Father, before the
world was, he came dow^n from heaven to
earth, that he might raise us from earth to hea-
ven, and took upon him our mortal nature, that
he might finally clothe us with immortality.

I

3

i

79

Though he was in the form of God^ yet he
condescended to take upon him the form of a
servant, and to be made in all things like
unto us, sin only excepted.

And being found in fashion as a man, he
became obedient unto death, that he might
redeem us from death, and procure eternal
life for us.

He took not on him the nature of angels,
but the seed of Abraham, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest, in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for
the sins of men.

^^ Hosanna to the incarnate Word,
Who from the Father came ;

Ascribe salvation to the Lord,
And blessings on his name.

My Saviour, Jesus, teach this heart
To feel thy bleeding love :

And teach, O teach my v^^and'ring steps^
To seek thy throne above.

My lips shall glow with flame divine,

To celebrate thy praise,
And all my noblest prayers unite,

A grateful hymn to raise.

Wide be EmanuePs honours spread.
Wide let his sceptre sway ;

He stoopM a fallen world to save.
And bore its sins away.^^

80

Let us cultivate and endeavour to preserve
hi our grateful hearts, those devout regards
towards God's incarnate Son, which his per-
sonal excellencies, condescending goodness^
and sacred relations to us, demand.

EXER. XXIX

Concludes on the day of Judgment.

^* O save me, power of powers supreme,
In that tremendous hour."

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole
matter : fear God and keep his command-
ments, for this is the whole duty of man. JFor
God will bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether it be good, or
whether it be evil.

God hath appointed a day, in which he will
judge the world in righteousness, by Jesus
Christ, whereof he hath given assurance to
all men, in that he raised him from the dead.

Then we must all appear before the judg-
ment seat of Christ, to give account of our-
selves to God, that every one may receive,
according to his deeds done in the body.

At tliat day, the Lord himself, attended
with a glorious retinue of angels, shall des-
cend from heaven, with a shout, and the
trump of God, and all nations shall be gath-
ered before him, to receive their final destiny.

Then all that are in their graves shall
hear his voice, and come forth ; and the dead,
both small and great, shall stand before God,

81

and the books shall be opened, and the dead
shall be judged out of those things which
are written in the books, according to their
works.

Behold the Lord cometh with clouds, and
every eye shall see him, and they also who
pierced him, shall mourn because of him ;
fur to them his second appearing will be a
fearful event of terror and consternation.

As Christ once appeared to take away sin,
by the sacrifice of himself, so, to those, who,
in a way of well doing, look for him, will he
appear the second time, without sin unto sal-
vation. But, in that day, those who obey
not the gospel, shall be punished with ever-
lasting destruction, from the presence of the
Lord, and the glory of his power.

That great day of the Lord will assuredly
come, in which the heavens, being on fire,
shall be dissolved, and pass away with a
great noise ; and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat, the earth also, and the works
that are therein, shall be burnt up.

Then shall every mountain, and every
island, be moved out of its place ; and the
kings of the earth, and the great men, and tne
rich men, and the chief captains, and the
mighty men, and every bond man, and every
free man, who have rejected the great salva-
tion shall hide themselves in the dens, and
in the rocks of the mountains.

And shall say to the rocks and the moun-

tains fall on us and hide us from the face of

him, who sitteth on the throne, and from the

wrath of the Lamb ; for the great day of his

7^

8^

wrath is come, and who shall be able to
stand.

Let the saints of the Most High look for-
ward with reviving joy, to that great day of
the revelation of the righteous judgment of
God, when the amazing scene above describ-
ed will become a present reality, and intro-
duce them into the full and perfect possession
of the blessings of redemption.

Let them rejoice, while contemplating that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and finally present us, before the
presence of God, with exceeding joy.

Seeing that the dissolution of the world
will most certainly take place, at an appoint-
ed period, when the Lord himself will des-
cend from heaven, in awful pomp and mag-
nificence, to judge both the quick and the
dead, what manner of persons'ought we to be
in all holy conversation and godliness, look-
ing for, and hastening unto, the coming of that
great day of the Lord ?

Let us by patient continuance in well do-
ing, seek for glory, honour and immortality,
that we may be able to lift up our faces with
confidence, at the final tribunal of our supreme
Lord and Judge, and have an open entrance
administered to us into his everlasting king-
dom.

Keeping an attentive eye fixed on that final
judgment, which is every moment approach-
ing, let us order our present conduct and
conversation with a proper view, and refer-

83

ence thereto, that wheri the grand event shall
take place, we may hear those blessed words
pronounced by the Sovereign Judge^ ^^ Well
done good and faithful servants.*^

Alarmed by the terrors of the Lord, and
encouraged by the promise of the gospel, let
us flee for refuge and lay hold on the hope
set before us, that we may be safe and secure,
when the heavens and the earth shall be dis-
solved. And when we shall hear gasping
nature's last tremendous groan, may we as-
cend the skies, with triumphant exultation,
and come to the heavenly Zion, with songs
of everlasting joy on our heads.

EXER. XXX.

Additional Odes for Christmas ; selected
from the subsequent Papers on the Birth
of Christy for the Anniversary of 1818.

FROM THE BOSTON PAPERS.

^^And the angel said, behold, 1 bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you is born this day, a
Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.'^

In our aversion to ceremonies and holi-
days, we have heretofore prescribed the com-
memoration even of the nativity of the >iES-
81 AH. We rejoice now to perceive a general
purpose, among dissenters, to celebrate this
great event. And what can be more becom-
ing all those of every sect, who believe and

Si

hope in Jesus, the great Spiritual Deliverer^
thaa to notice, in a religious and devout man-
ner, the day of his advent to this w^orld ; to
be our Light, our Life, and our Redeemer js
from sin and the grave ! We trust, we all ^
shall unite, in future, in this holy and grate-
ful service ; in adoring and praising God for
the gift of the Messiah, to dispense truth
and pardon, and immortality to man.

^^ Around the patriot's bust ye throng,
Him ye exalt in swelling song ;
For him the wreath of glory bind,
Who freed from vassalage his kind.
Shall He who fellow men to save.
Became a tenant of the grave,
Unthank'd uncelebrated rise.
Pass unremember'd to the skies ?''

CHRISTMAS MORNING.

Swiftly fly the shades of night,

And each sparkling star is gone ;
While the streaks of rosy light

Usher in the holy morn.
'Tis the morn, when from afar

Humble offerings shepherds bring ;
And the burning eastern star

Leads them to a Saviour King.

Superstition's course was run.

All her footsteps stainM with blood $

Desolation's work was done,
Mark'd by an avenging God.

83

But the true religion^s foes

Were like misty vapours hurVcl ;

When the sun of Glory rose
Shining o'er a darkeuM world.

^Tis the morn to Christians dear,

'Tis the morn that Christians love :
When their troubled spirits here,

Seek a resting place above.
Virtue spreads a bolder wing,

Faith looks up with surer eye ;
Death has lost its dreaded sting,

Grave has lost its victory.

Where a. few assembled are,

In the midst the Lord will be ;
He will hear the suppliant's prayer,

He will mark the bended knee.
At the cross, then let us crave

Pardon of that God above,
Who, in heavenly mercy, gave

Proof of his redeeming love.

Guilt and sin in dread array,

Haunt the troubled world no more ;
Every fault is washM away,

By the blessed Saviour's gore.
Erring Man, be not afraid ;

Trust to God's unchanging will ;
For He, who in his mercy made.

Will in his mercy guard thee still.

86

FROM THE VERMONT REPORTER. — By J, PhtlpS^ Esq,

On this blest morn to Bethlehem,
The star-directed Shepherds came ;
And here beheld what love displayed !
Emanuel in a manger laid.

Life and immortal hopes this day-
Were tun'd on ev'ry Seraph's lay ;
Angels repeat the notes again,

With *^ PEACE ON EAliTH GOOD WILL TO

MEN.^^

Hosanna, sing the heavenly birth —
Uosanua, worship him ye earth ;
This day, from death and bonds set free.
Triumphant shout the victory.

FROM A SOUTHERN PAPER.

All hail, to the season, when festive and gay,
Round the bright social fires of winter we
sit.
Delighted to pass the long evening away,
^AJidst the pleasures of song^ and the
sparkles of trit :
When kind hosjntaHty seeks to beguile.
What heart can refuse, at the summons of
mirthy
The brow of dull care to relax for a while,
In the gaity to which merry Christmas
gives birth !

87

Festivity reigns with unlimited sway,

And closes the year both in Country and
Town,
With feasting and social^ and music all day.
The cares of existence in pleasure to
drown.

How bright is the prospect wherever the eye,
Or the mind is induced to direct its regard,
What favours of Heaven descend from on
high.
Every effort of Industry's sons to reward !
The labours, the pleasures, the blessings of
Peace^
All mark the proud triumph of Liberty's
reign.
In wealth and in numbers our people in-
crease,
And plenty reposes on mountain and plain^

Enlightened Societies study with care,
The means of adorning our land to com-
bine,
Soil^ Rivers and Roads^ Education ^ all claim.
Their zeal to preserve, to improve and re-
fine ;
From the frontier of Maine, to the wilds of
the West,
Shines a picture unequall'd of national bliss,
No earthly community ever possessed,

Such cause to be grateful and happy as
this.

FAMILY PRAYERS,

SELECTED FROM VARIOUS AUTHORS.

First Prayer adapted at the beginning of the
year.

Almighty God of the spirits of all flesh,
and author of all created existence, who hast
vouchsafed unto us to see the commencement
of another year ! Hear our prayers unto thee
respectins; time to come. We acknowledge
that in time past we have been too earnest
atiout the things of time and sense ; too re-
J2;ardless of the objects of faith and futurity.
We acknowledge that we have too often walk-
ed in a vain shew, and disquieted ourselves
in vain. It is our desire in time to come to
cast off all the unfruitful works of darkness,
and to walk as children of the light and of the
day. May this year witness our greater re-
formation from every thing that is amiss in
us ; and if thou shall see fit to spare our lives,
may it be in mercy to us.

If it be consistent with thy holy will, may

we be let alone another year, that we may

cease to be cumberers of thy ground, and may

bring forth fruit. We ask not length of days,

8

yo

merely to enjoy an animal life, but as it may
furnish us with an opportunity of doing good,
and becoming ourselves better. We commit
all our concerns to thee, and would submit to
those circumstances which thou, who knowest
what is best for us, shalt ordain. If the Lord
will, we desire the continuance of health, and
the comforts of life. May we be prepared
for sickness, and every change into which thou
mayestlead us. If thine infinite wisdom shall
appoint that we take leave of the world the
present year, may we be ready for our de«
parture. We dare not say we will do this or
that ; but we would cherish one purpose, to
live better than we have done.

Preserve us from all injurious delays, espe-
cially from delaying to repent and reform.
Hasten us to keep thy commandments, and
practically to know every season of our visit-
ation. JVlay not the night of darkness, in
which no man can work, overtake us una-
wares, and the things belonging to our peace
be forever hidden from our eyes. Exempt us
from their folly, who presume on life, and
speak of goods laid up for many years. May
we do with diligence all of duty that our
hands find to do, and go from strength to
strength, till we shall appear before thee in
thy heavenly Zion.

If death shall approach by slow advances,
may it find us w ell employed ; and if we are
called on a sudden to exchange worlds, may
it not be our dreadful lot to have treasured up
fear and remorse. When we finish this mor-
tal life, may the rod and staff of thy word be

91

our support, and an entrance be ministered to
us into thine everlasting kingdom.

Unto the king eternal, immortal, and invisi-
ble, the only wise God, be honour^ and glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Second Prayer^ adapted on the Spring.

Incomprehknsibly blessed and glorious
Lord our God ! By thee the heavens were
made, and all the glorious host of them by the
breath of thy mouth. Thou hast appointed
the moon for seasons, and made the sun to
know his going down. Summer and winter,
seed time and harvest, heat and cold, are di-
rected by thee. At one time thou givest snow
like wool, and scatterest the hoar frost like
ashes ; at another time thou bringest forth
food out of the earth, and causest the grass
to grow for cattle, and herb for the service of
man.

Because thine eye is upon the year, from
the beginning even unto the end, we are now
called to rejoice that the winter is past, the
rain is over and gone, the flowers appear
upon the earth ; the singing of birds is come,
the tree puts forth her leaves, and the field
yields its perfume ; the mountains and hills
break forth into singing, and the trees of the
forest clap their hands. O Lord ! how mani»
fold are thy works.

We bless thee for the beneficial influences
of the heavenly bodies ; for the light of the
9un, and th^ constant revolution of the sea^

sons, and all the rich provisions thou hast
made for our present support and delight.
We bless thee for all our comforts during the
inclemencies of the winter^ which is now past,
for all the pleasant intercourse of domestic
life^ and the kind offices of mutual friendship
and good neighbourhood, and above all we re-
joice in our capacities for contemplating thy
glorious works with emotions of religious
praise and pleasure.

Thou art now sending forth thy spirit, and
renewing the face of the earth. All nature
feels thy reanimating power. May devotion
invigorate and sanctify the labours of the ap-
proaching season. May he who plougheth,
plough with religious hope. May he who
soweth, rejoice in the expectation of reaping.
Give us rain from heaven, and a fruitful sea-
son, and fill our hearts with food and pious
gladness.

Above all we beseech thee to multiply the
spiritual seed of divine truth, and may not the
wicked one catch away that which is sown in
the hearts of any. Crown with success both
our secular and spiritual labours, and may we
reap both the harvest of bread and the fruits
of righteousness. Give us neither poverty
nor riches ; feed us with food convenient for
us. By our spiritual improvements may we
be like unto that earth, which, drinking in the
rain that cometh oft upon it, bringeth forth
herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed,
andreceiveth blessing from God ; and not like
unto that which beareth thorns and briars, is
rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is

93

io be burnedi Establish us in every good
word and work^ and unite us more closely to
him who is the true vine. As branches iri
him wilt thou mercifully spare and purge us,
and may we glorify thee, 'our heavenly father,
by bearing much fruit.

To thee, O Father ! the husbandman, by
Jesus Christ, the true vine, be all honour and
praise. Amen,

Third Prayer^ adapted for Summer.
Almighty God, the creator of the world,
whose eternal power and supreme dominion
are seen by the things which are made ! We
beseech thee to seal instruction to our souls,
by the prospects of the present season. We
Would raise our thoughts to thee by whom the
sun rises in pleasing majesty, and in his daily
course diffuses light and heat over the world ;
by whom the earth is overspread with trees,
and herbs, and flowers ; who art the father
of the former and latter rain, and nightly be-
gettest the drops of the dew. We adore thee
in all the various productions of the earth
which thou art now causing to advance to ma-
turity for the support, comfort, and delight of
thy creatures. We desire never to forget
thine hand in the glorious scene in which we
are placed, or cease to derive all the moral in-
struction thy works convey. Whilst we
gratefully adore thy goodness in the pleasant
circumstances of this present life, teach us to
trust in thy mercy and deliverance when ad-
8*

94

versity shall overtake us. May we carry
about with us an affecting impression of this
truth, that all flesh is as grass, and the glory
of man as the flower of grass. Having been
planted in thy vineyard, may we bring forth
much good fruit, so that finally we may be
numbered with the trees of righteousness, and
plants of renown. May our faith grow ex-
ceedingly. O grant that by the milk of thy
word and speaking the truth in love, we may
grow up unto him in all things who is the
head, even Christ. Make our souls as a wa-
tered garden. There may charity display
her graces ; hope expand her wings ; and
the soil, by divine cultivation, yield all the
peaceable fruits of righteousness.

We bless thee, whose works as well as
words speak thy will, for the confirmation
which the season affords to our religious faith.
The corn of wheat, that was cast into the
ground, has resumed the body which pleased
thee. We will inquire no more. How are
the dead raised up, or with what bodies they
come ? We rejoice in the prospect of the
peaceful bow in the clouds, the early pledge
of thine inviolable fidelity, and repose our-
selves under the shadow of the Almighty.

O that men would praise the Lord for his
goodness and wonderful works to the chil-
dren of men ! Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel, from everlasting to everlasting, and
let all people say, Amen,

95

Fourth Prayer^ adapted for dutumn.

O THOU who cansest the grass to grow for
the cattle, and herb for the service of mau,
making the earth to bring forth all her fruits
in their season ! We bless thee for the rich
provision thou hast made of those things ne-
cessary to bodily sustenance.

Although we have not walked in all thy
statutes and kept thy commandments^ yet^ by
thy mercy, the land has yielded her increase^
and the trees their fruit We praise thee for
the blessings of harvest, which have been so
abundantly plenteous, and beseech thee to
direct us in the temperate and frugal use of
thy various bounties. May we not expose
ourselves to the accusation of wasting thy
goods, nor abuse them in riotous and intem-
perate living. With humble thanks we would
receive and enjoy thy gifts, acknowledging at
the same time, that we are not worthy the
crumbs which fall from the table of thy provi-
dence.

May our souls be impressed with divine les-
sons from the prospects of the season. We
have been planted in thy vineyard. We have
been united to a choice vine ; but alas ! we
confess with shame we have not brought
grapes that are good, but wild grapes ; and
thou mightest in just judgment have taken
away the hedge, broken down the wall, trod-
den under foot thy vineyard, and commanded
the clouds no more to rain upon it. But we
are witnesses of the divine forbearance and
patience. Spare us of thy grace, and grant

06

us another season to bring forth fruit. When
thy love does not constrain obedience, may
thy terrors persuade ; and by the expectation
of the harvest in the end of the world, may
we be awakened to sobriety, diligence, and
watchfulness. Amen.

Fifth Prayer^ adapted for the Winter^

Inconceivably great and glorious Lord
our God ! Before the mountains were brought
forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and
the world, from everlasting to everlasting thou
art God. The things which our eyes behold
shall perish ; but thou shalt endure : they
shall be changed ; but thou art the same, and
thy years shall have no end. Thou art call-
ing us at this time to witness the periodical
decay of nature ; yet not without a hope, from
the immutability of thy character and laws,
that there will be a renovation.

In the order of thy works thou art now
giving snow like wool, scattering the hoar-
frost like ashes, and sending thy cold, before
whom none can stand. With devout grati-
tude we retire to our warm habitations, and
solace ourselves with the unity and love of
our domestic retreats. We would be practic-
ally mindful of our brethren who may inhabit
the cheerless house of want. Mty not our
hearts be cold when we see the naked, nor
our hands be shut against the hungry. May
the loins of the poor every where bless the
rich, and may prayer, thanksgiving, and alms

or

unitedly ascend to thee. Appear for the pro<^
tection of those, who are coming on our sea
coast at this dangerous time : when they arc
tossed and afflicted, do thou deliver them, and
bring them to their desired haven.

O thou, who rulest the year ! May our re-
flections on the season carry religious lessons
to our hearts. We would adore thy incom-
prehensible power, which ordains in their
proper order, the effects we now behold.
Thou sendest forth thy commandment upon
earth, and the windy storm and tempest fulfil
tliy pleasure. By thee the waters are hid as
with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.
The hoary frost of heaven, who hath gender-
ed it? Have we entered into the treasures of
snow ? All is the work of thy unsearchable
wisdom, and almighty strength. We desire
to be filled with a sense of thy care and love,
w hen we consider thy multiplied provisions
for the support and comfort of man and beast,
during this barren, inclement season. We
rejoice before thee in the assurance that the
elements are under thy control, subject to thy
invariable laws ; and that in the appointed
time, thou who bindest the sweet influences of
the Pleiades, wilt loose the bands of Orion,
renew the face of the earth, and spread life
and beauty through all nature.

O thou who hast given senses, reason, and
speech to man ! Preserve us from misemploy-
ing the leisure now offfered in excessive or
hurtful diversions ; but may we use it for cul-
tivating our minds, examining our hearts, and
laying up stores of knowledge and goodness.

98

May the changes of the year lead us to con-
sider how the fashion of this world passeth
away, and to place our affections on thee^ the
unchangeable and eternal good.

By the death of the powers of nature, thou
warnest us to remember that we are mortal ;
and that if by reason of strength we live
many years, we may expect old age to be-
numb our faculties, and destroy our activity.
By our diligence and fidelity in youth and
manhood, may we provide comfortable reflec-
tions and pleasing hopes, to cheer us in the
days of infirmity and the winter of life.

Blessed be thy name, that as we know thou
wilt revive the decayed plants and torpid ani-
mals^ and make the fields, now desolate, to
rejoice, so thou wilt raise from the dead those
who sleep in Jesus ; that this mortal may put
on immortality, and this coiTuptible incorrupt
tion. Make us thy upright and faithful ser-
vants while we live, that we may die in peace^
and rest in hope, and rise in glory, through
Jesus Christy the prince of life. Amen.

Sixfh Prayer^ adapted to the Annual Fast.

Almighty Saviour of men ; the righteous
Lord, who lovest righteousness; who art a
consuming fire to the disobedient and impeni-
tent, but a compassionate father to such as re-
pent and turn unto thee I We would come be-
fore thee this day with humble confession of
sin and the deepest self abasement, beseech-
ing thee to impress on our minds every argu-

99

ttient to repentance and amendment, and to
pour out on our land the spirit of prayer and
bumble supplication.

O thou supreme director in the affairs of
human society ! We thank thee for the ad-
vantages of our condition ; that we enjoy lib-
erty, safety, and plenty; that we do not groan
under the miseries of tyranny, bloodshed, and
ruin ; that thou hast given us fruitful seasons,
and preserved us from famine, pestilence, and
war. Surely the lines are fallen to us in
pleasant places, and we have a goodly herit-
age. Yet we have made unworthy returns
for thy loving kindness, and shewn ourselves
undeserving of thy mercies. We lament that
plenty has been abused by luxury, and liber-
ty by licentiousness ; our ease and safety by
strife, envyings, and divisions. We lament
that so little of the power of godliness is
manifested ; that so many restrain prayer be-
fore thee; and after all the expressions of thy
will, do trample on the sacred authority of
thy laws. Surely it is of thy mercy that we
are not consumed ; and hadst thou rewarded
us according to our iniquities, we had before
this time been made like unto Sodom and
Gomorrah.

Awaken us to a sense of our manifold and
repeated provocations ; pardon the crying
sins of our nation ; forgive all who humble
themselves before thee this day, and spare
thy people. Shew us the things which belong
to our peace before the day of reconciliation
be past. Fill us with that godly sorrow for
sin which works true repentance* May we

100

no longer abuse thy merries, but keep this
clay the fast thou hast chosen, and loosing
every band of wickedness, become a peculiar
people, zealous of good works, so that thy
displeasure may be turned away^ and thou
mayest delight to build us up and not destroy
us.

Grant, we beseech thee, this day healing
mercy unto us who have corrupted our man-
ners ; who have been indifferent to thy wor-
ship; neglected the interests of early educa-
tion; indulged aspiritofwicked animosity, and
made no suitable resistance to the inundation
of profaneness and immorality; and animate
us to rise and join with one heart and soul in
promoting the honour of thy name, the inter-
ests of religion, and the prosperity and hap-
piness of these United htates. May it not
any longer be a source of lamentation to the
righteous that no man repents of his wicked-
ness, saying, What have 1 done ? May every
one rent his heart and not his garment, and
keep such a fast as thou hast chosen.

Accept the humiliations of thy people this
day, send answers of peace to their humble
supplications : but, let none of us ever think,
that by such days service, we make compen-
sation for past transgressions, or obtain dis-
pensation to continue in sin. May we all re-
alize that by such days privileges we are laid
under higher obligations to keep ourselves
from our iniquity, and bring forth the fruits of
righteousness to the praise and glory of God.

O thou, who rulest in the kingdoms of men 1
We intercede for all in authority, whether in

101

church or state. The hearts of rulers are in
thy hands. Restrain their evil passions, and
bless those who rule over men, with wisdom
from above, which is first pure and then
peaceable. May all their consultations and
measures contribute to the stability of our
times, to the prosperity of all conditions of
men, to the welfare of our children, and to the
spreading of thy name and glory in the earth.
We would not presume ou the ardency of our
prayers, on the sorrow of our minds, or the
humiliation of our bodies ; but upon thy mer-
cy to repenting and returning sinners through
Jesus Christ.

Universal parent and governor ! Be mer-
ciful to the whole race of man ! enlighten all
who sit in darkness and error ; send forth a
spirit of peace and good will ; restrain the
violence of unreasonable men ; exalt the
meek ; put an end to all deception ; may no
weapon formed against the rights of men
prosper; multiply the patterns of christian
virtue, and the instruments of benefaction to
men ; extirpate idolatry ; direct all flesh to
the knowledge of thy son ; and may thy king-
dom come, and will be done on earth, as in
heaven. Amen.

103

Seventh Prayer^ adapted to the .Annual
Thanksgiving.

O THOU who art good unto all, who exer-
cisest loviqg kindness in all the earth, and
who hast come nigh to us by Jesus Christ, thy
son ! It is thou who huldest our souls in life;
who givest our daily bread, health in our ha-
bitations and peace in our borders, and who
crownest the year with thy goodness ! We
desire this day, with affectionate gratitude,
to recount thy mercies, and piously to ascribe
honour and blessing, glory and praise to Thee
our rock and fortress, our strength and re-
deemer. We would rest this day before Thee,
and make it a season of temperate feasting
and religious gladness.

How precious have been thy thoughts unto
us, O God ! how great is the sum of them !
We bless thee for preserving our houses from
the ravages of fire ; for all the health and
pleasure we have enjoyed in them ; for every
portion of bread vi^hich has given strength to
our bodies ; for the medicine which has ar-
rested the progress of disease ; for the tear of
sympathy which has comforted under trou-
ble ; for divine preservation in our journies
by land ; for prosperous gales on the ocean ;
for exhilarating showers when in the field ;
for every cheerful sensation when alone ; for
the pleasures of friendly intercourse; lor the
benefits of good neighborhood ; for the privi-
leges of public worship ; for the mainte-
nance of civil order ; the continuance of

103

peace ; the administration of justice ; for eve-
ry encouragement to well doiug; every mani-
festation of useful trutli ; and for all the ad-
vantages of our condition.

Wilt thou graciously direct us to a right
improvement of all thy mercies. Preserve
us from the wicked indulgence of fleshly
lusts ; from wasting our substance in riotous
living. May we enjoy our temporal posses-
sions with temperance, cheerfulness, and con-
tentment. Protect us against the snares of
prosperity. May we honour thee with our
substance, be rich in good works, and duly es-
teem and praise thee, the rock of our salvation.

Perpetuate our privileges both private and
common; continue to us the enjoyment of our
civil rights ; disappoint the devices of the
crafty : prolong the days and usefulness of
those public men under whose administration
the righteous flourish, who cause every man
to sit without fear under his vine and figtree,
and who make our land a quiet habitation*
(^rant peace, order, and plenty in our fami-
lies, our villages and towns, and throughout
our country. Be thou a sun to direct all in
authority, and may they bear rule under the
influence of that religious fear which is the
beginning of wisdom. Wilt thou bless all
fountains of useful science ; heal and cleanse
their waters ; dispel the mists of ignorance j
arrest the progress of profanity and vice ;
make the people of our land humble before
thee ; peaceable in their civil and social
relations ; and zealous for the establishment
of liberty, order, and truth. May we not by

104

our ingratitude ever incur that censure, 1
have nourished and brought up children, but
they have rebelled against me.

And now unto the Governor among the
nations, on whom their safety and prosperity
ultimately depend ; unto the King of kings,
and Lord of lords, be glory and majesty-,
dominion and power. Amen.

AN

ADDRESS

SPECTATOR OF THE AWFUL EXECUTION OF THE PIRATES-
IN BOSTON,

February 18, 1819.

My Friends,

SO exceedingly rare in New Englancf,
through the great mercy of God, is such a
scene as you behold, that you will not think
it strange, if many, who wish well to man-
kind, are desirous of rendering it infinitely
beneficial to multitudes. Suffer me, then, to
ask your serious attention to a few thoughts,
which 1 wish to be impressed on my own
mind, and which I cannot but think may be
usefully impressed on yours.

1. Consider the unhappy criminals.

On them the attention of this numerous as-
sembly is fixed, their awful situation now ;
their past life, which has led to this result;
the circumstances of their atrocious crimes f
their behaviour since the period of their ap-
prehension and during their trial, and what-
ever we may have been able to learn of th6ir
conduct since they were condemned, are the
principal theme of reflection and conversation.
They are men, as ourselves. They are hast-
igning to an awful eternity — to the bar of that
Ciod^ who is ^^ angry with the wicked every
9^

106

day/^ and whose dreadful denunciations
against the impenitently guilty are spread on
the pages of his holy and unerring Word.

My friend, pray for them : l^ift up your
heart to God. on whose mercy you too are de-
pendent, that He, for Christ's sake — for the
sake of Him, who groaned, and bled, and
died, that sinners might be saved — would
have mercy upon them ; and that, though
they have been condemned, and justly, at a
human tribunal, they may, through hearty re-
pentance and a lively faith, be acquitted of
their crimes at the bar of Christ, on the ground
of trust in his all-suflBcient atonement.

Pray too for their relatives and friends.
At the birth of each one of them, their affec-
tionate parents were probably filled with joy
and thankfulness. Ah, who could then have
foretold this hour? Who could have lacerated
their fond hearts by painting to them this
scene of indescribable anguish !

They have had, probably they now have,
friends. Wherever such may be at the pres-
ent time, yet all the circumstances of their
acquaintance and connexion will be investi-
gated at the bar of God. Investigated, do I
say ? Rather let me say, displayed to an as-
sembled world by that Being, who knoweth
at all times the state of every heart. Have
these men been enticed to sin by their com-
jrades ? Awful now is the result of such per-
nicious friendships. Have they themselves
left the poisonous sting of seductive inter^
eoursein the bosoms and hearts of their form-
Bf intimates? What woes u»numbered may

107

ensue ! ^^One sinner/^ says the sacred word
of Grod, ^Mestroyeth much good.*^ AVho caa
tell, beside Him, who seeth the end from the
beginniug, and discerneth effects in their
causes through an endless eternitj, the influ-
ence on mankind even of those sins, which,
with respect to these unhappy men, are now
producing the bitter fruits of death !

S. Consider the operation of the laws.

Without them no security could attend the
enjoyment of any of the blessings of life.
They are absolutely necessary to the very
existence of society. Their sanction is de-
rived from the Great Lawgiver of the Uni-
verse. In this case, it is his authoritative
word which says, '' Whoso sheddeth man's
blood, by man shall his blood be shed/^
Keverence then, in silence, the n^ajesty of the
laws — and consider that the existence of your
comforts, privileges and advantages depends
on the execution of them even to the exaction
of the dread forfeit you are now witnessing.
Inculcate also a strict obedience to them on
all, over whom you have influence.

3, Consider, then, more particularly, the
interests of the community.

Every citizen, every man, has his duties to
perform, and an influence to exert. His in-
fluence ought to be salutary in its effects on
others. Example does much, even more than
precept. On the rising generation especially
it operates with peculiar power. The young,
indeed, are chiefly formed by the conduct and
example of those, to whom they loot up with
rever^uce^ as parents^, ^uardians^ mast€i%

108

teachers, and friends. From their conver-
sation, their advice, their precepts, admoni-
tions and instructions flows the character, in
a great measure, of the generation which suc-
ceeds thera. Oh, then, let the influence you
exert be on the side of wholesome laws, pure
morality, and (Jhristian piety. Let the young
behold in you the example of deep, serious,,
practical attention to whatever things are
lovely, pure, just, virtuous, true, and of good
report. Let it be the precious consolation of
your dying hour, that your example and in-
fluence have tended, through the blessing of
God, to strengthen the hands of the good, and
to weaken the pernicious influence of sin ;
that your friendship has been a treasure of
inestimable worth to those, who enjoyed it,
and that none shall ever lament the period
when first they knew you ; but multitudes
have reasDU to bless your memory, when yon
have sunk to the grave — none to blush w hen
addressed as your acquaintance, friend, or
relative.

4. If you are a parent, consider, 1 beseech
you, your children.

They are a precious part of your very self.
For their welfare you have already thought
and perhaps laboured much. Are you not
anxious to save them from the stings of self-
reproach, from the displeasure of the good,
from the animadversion of the laws, from the
punishments of the wicked in this world and
the next? 1 cannot for a moment doubt it.
It would be unnatural — it would be mon.
strous — that you should uot be anxious to

109

save them from these evils. You cannot bear
the idea, that they, whom you so much love,
at whose birth you were so thankful, over
whom you have so often breathed, as I would
charitably hope, the fervent prayer to God —
for their lives, their health, th.eir happiness
and usefulness in the world — that these
should be justly sentenced to die by a
hangman ! Grod forbid ! you exclaim. iio
home, then, and bring them up for (xod.

It is possible this most important work has
been awfully neglected. Oh let it be neg-
lected no longer ! Your children have a world
of sin to pass through — and scenes of trial.
If they be not well grounded in good prin-
ciplesj think of their awful hazard and dan-
ger. Temptations will assail them. How
shall temptation be repelled, if the mind be
not early established and well principled?
Delay not, then, to enter heartily on the task,
feeek wisdom and grace from the Giver of
every good gift — and see that you employ his
gift to advance his glory, and the holy pur-
poses of his infinite wisdom. He has con-
stituted you the guardian, as well as the
parent of your children, and it is his will, that
you should ^Urain them up in the way in
which they should go/^

Let them have occupation. Idleness is the
inlet of all vice. Industry, in any useful
business whatever, assists the government of
the thoughts and passions. Industry is the
parent of virtue, usefulness and respectability.
If you would have your children become bless-
ings to themselves and others; and to your-

MO

self especially,*teach them by precept and ex-
ample to be industrious. Therefore,

Put them early to school, and keep them
habitually there. Are they at the period of
life, above all, most proper to form the char-
acter? Let it be formed by the instructions
which are so liberally bestowed at the pres-
ent day on tlie rising generation. Place
God^s word before them. Initiate them early
into its sacred truths, and let its pages direct
them continually. Especially,

Teach them to reverence the Lord's day.
It is instituted to subserve the best interests
of man. Its observation is ever attended
with benefit, for even '^ in the keeping of
Grod's commandments there is a great re-
ward.^' And this institution is as merciful,
as it is wise. On that day encourage reli-
gious employment at home, as well as an at-
tendance abroad on the public worship.
Give your dear children the wholesome in-
struction, which is appropriate to the Chris-
tian Sabbath, and has the sanction of the
authority of God. Or, if you be hindered in
doing this yourself, or feel an inability — be
thankful for the wise and salutary establish-
ment of Sabbath Schools, and at least send
your children punctually thither. And be
assured, that what is taught them there will
strengthen your authority at home, and favor-
ably affect the peace and welfare of your
family, as well as advance the knowledge
and promote the happiness of your children.
Watch over them, then, and pray for them
and with them — that God, to secure you from

Ill

sorrow on their account, would keep them
from sin, and give you ^^ grace to be faithful.*'
Instead then of being hung out as beacons to
give warning to men, and terrify them from
vicious courses, they will be, thrciugh the
divine blessing, your joy and crown.

Lastly, consider yourself.

You have an immortal soul, and are now
and ever will be under the government and
control of a holy, almighty God. You are a
probationer for eternity — and its dread awards
even now await you. To you the Vlost High
has given His law, commanded his covenant,
and oflFered His precious salvation, through
the atoning blood of His Hon. His mercy
you need for the pardon of your sins, for you
have broken His law, and stand before VLixr^
most justly condemned !

Have you, my friend, already fled for re-
fuge to Christ? then you have already known
^^ the plague of your heart,'' and obtained its
remedy. Think, then, with renewe I grat-
itude, 1 conjure you, on the mercy you have
experienced. Think who and what have
made you to diflFer from the unhappy crimin-
als you now behold launching into an un-
tried eternity. Considering your great ad-
vantages, your sin may have been, perhaps,
as odious in the sight of God, as theirs. He
alone has been conscious to all the secret
guilt of your vile heart. Over its vileness
you have indeed often mourned, and oftea
have deprecated, in the name of your liedeem-
er, that wrath, which is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness. Let your life, then^

lis

friend and brother, prove that you are
^* bought with a priee/^ and are no longer
^^your own/' but Christ's. Heek His glory
while yet you live, and let your light so
shine, as to honor the cause you have espous-
ed, to advance the salvation of your fellow-
sinners, who are yet '' in the gall of bitter-
ness and bond of iniquity/^ and to promote
the praise of Him, who called you from dark-
ness to light for the very purpose, plucking,
you as ^'a brand from tlie burning.^'

But, perhaps, yoii^ who read these lines of
exhortation, dictated l)y an affi ctionate wish
to do you good — forever ! — are even yet lying
under the condemnation of God's broken law,
and are still unreconciled to Him.

My friend your state is hazardous beyond
your conception. There may be but a step
between you and dea h. You witness fellow-
sinners hurried by a judicial sentence of man
to eternity — Oh, consider ! already the man-
date of your Judge may have gone forth;
^'this ni^ht thyroid maybe required ofTiiKh:.^^
Should it be the case, and you have no fur-
ther reprieve, how will you appear before
God ! Time, talents, privileges, warnings,
advice, exhortations and instructions have
been all wasted upon you. God has called,
and you have refused Him a hearing. His
ministers have called, and you have disregard-
ed their entreaties. Your own conscience has
called, but you have stifled her voice. May
God in mercy grant, that you be not found
impenitent, when He summons you away ! 1
have done.

MEDITATIONS

SELECTED FROM THE WORKS OF THE REV. JOHN FLAVEL.

HUSBANDRY SPIRITUALIZED.

Upon the early singing of birds.

HOW am I reproved of sluggishness
by these watchful birds ! which cheerfully
entertain the very dawning of the morning
with their cheerful and delightful warblings !
They set their little spirits all at work betimes,
whilst my nobler spirits are bound with the
bonds of soft and downy slumbers. For
shame, my soul ! suffer not that publican sleep
to seize so much of thy time, yea, thy best
and freshest time ; reprove and chide thy
sluggish body, as a good bishop once did,
when, upon the same occasion, he said,

The early chirping sparrows may reprove,
Such lazy bishops as their beds do love.

Of many sluggards it may be said, as Tully
said of Verres, the deputy of Sicily, that he
never saw the sun rising, being in bed after,
nor setting, being in bed before.

It is pity that Christians, of all men, should
suffer sleep to cut such large thongs out of so
narrow a hide, as their time on earth is. But,
alas ! it is not so much early rising, as a wise
improving those fresh and free hours with
God, that will enrich the soul ; else, as cur
10

114

proverb saith, *Zf man may be early iip^ and
never the nearer ; yea, far better it is to be
found in bed sleeping, than to be up doing
nothing, or that which is worse than nothing.
O my soul! learn to prepossess thyself every
morning with the thoughts of God, and suffer
not those fresh and sweet operations of thy
mind to be prostituted to earthly things ; for
that is experimentally true, which one, in
this case, hath pertinently observed, that if
the world get the start of religion in the
morning, it will be hard for religion to over-
take it all the day after.

Upon the haltering of birds^ with a grain of
hair.
OBSERVINGr, in a snowy season, how
the poor hungry birds were haltered and
drawn in by a grain of hair cunningly cast
over their heads, whilst, poor creatures, they
were busily feeding, and suspected no danger;
and even whilst their companions were drawn
away from them, one after another, all the in-
terruption it gave the rest, was only for a
minute or two, w hilst they stood peeping into
that hole through which their companions
w ere drawn, and then fell to their meat again
as busily as before ; I could not chuse but
say, ^^Kven thus surprisingly doth death
^^steal upon the children of men, whilst they
^^are wholly intent upon the cares and plea-
^^sures of this life, not at all suspecting its so
*^near approach/^ These birds saw not the
hand that ensnared them, nor do they see the

113

hand of death plucking them one after anoth-
er into the grave.

*' Death's steps as swift, and yet no noise it makes ;
"Its hand unseen, but yet most surely takes."

And even as the surviving birds for a little
time seemed to stand affrighted, peeping after
their companions, and then as busy as ever to
their meat again : just so it fares with the
careless, inconsiderate world, who see others
daily dropping into eternity round about them,
and for the present are a little startled, and
will look into the grave after their neighbors,
and then fall as busily to their earthly employ-
ments and pleasures again, as ever, till their
own turn comes.

1 know, my God, that I must die as well as
others ; but O let me not die as others do, let
me see death before I feel it, and conquer it
before it kill me ; let it not come as an enemy
upon my back, but rather let me meet it as a
friend, half way. l)ie 1 must, but let me lay
up that good treasure before 1 go, carry with
me a good conscience, and leave behind me a
good example when I am gone, and then let
death come, and welcome.

Upon the strange means of preserving the
life of vegetables.

I OBSERV^E that plants and herbs are
sometimes killed by frost, and yet without
frost they would neither live nor thrive : they
are sometimes drowned with water, and yet
without water they cannot subsist j They are

116

refreshed and cheered by the heat of the sun^
and yet that sun sometimes kills and scorches
them up. Thus lives my soul : Troubles and
afflictions seem to kill all its comforts; and
yet without these, its comforts could not live.
The sun-blasts of prosperity sometimes re-
fresh me, and yet those sun-blasts are the
likeliest way to wither me: By what seem-
iiig contradictions is the life of ray spirit pre-
served ! what a mystery, what a paradox is
the life of a Christian.

Welcome, my health, this sickness makes
me well.

Med'cines adieu.
When with diseases I have list to dwell,

FU wish for you.
Welcome, my strength, this weakness makes
nie able.

Pov/ers adieu.
When I am weary grown of standing stable,

I'll wish for you.
Welcome, my wealth, this loss hath gained
me more.

Riches adieu.
When 1 again grow greedy to be poor,

Fll wish for you.
Welcome, my credit, this disgrace is glory.

Honors adieu.
When for renown and fame I shall be sorry,

Fll wish for you.
Welcome content, this sorrow is my joy.

Pleasures adieu.
When I desire such griefs as may annoy,

Fll wish for you.

117

BTealth, strength^ and riches, credit and con-
tent,

Arc spared best sometimes when Ihey are
spent.

Sickness and weakness, loss, disgrace and
sorrow,

Lend most sometimes, when most they seem
to borrow.

And if by these contrary a^ad improbable
ways the Lord preserves our souls in life, no
marvel then we find such strange and seem-
ingly contradictory motions of our hearts, un-
der the various dealings of God with us, and
are still restless, in what condition soever he
puts us ; whicli restless frame was excellently
expressed in that pious epigram of the rever-
end Gataker, made a little before his death,

I thirst for thirstiness, I weep for tears,

Well pleasM I am to be displeased thus :
The only thing 1 fear, is want of fears,

Suspecting 1 am not suspicious,

I cannot chuse but live, because I die ;

And when I am not dead, how glad am I ?
Yet when 1 am thus glad for sense of pain.

And careful am, lest I should careless be ;
Then do I grieve for being glad again.

And fear, lest carefulness take care for me.

Amidst these restless thoughts this rest I
find,

Jfor those that rest not here, there'sr resfc
behind.

1£8

Upo7i the love of a dog to his master.

HOW many a weary step, through mire
and dirt, hath this poor dog followed my
horse's heels to day, and all this for a poor
reward ? for all he gets by it at night (is of-
tentimes by thoughtless servants) being drove
away with kicks, blows and bones, yet he
will not leave my company, but is content
upon such hard terms, to travel with me from
day to day.

O my soul ! what conviction and shame
may this leave upon thee, who art oftentimes^
even weary of following thy master, Christ,
whose rew ards and encouragements of obedi-
ence are so incomparably sweet and sure ! I
cannot beat back this dog from following me,
but every inconsiderable trouble is enough to
discourage me in the way of my duty, iiea-
dy I am to resolve as that scribe did. Matt,
viii. 19. ^^ Master, I will follow^ thee whither-
<^^soever thou goest;'' but how doth my heart
faulter, w hen I must encounter with the diffi-
culties of the way? Oh! let me make a whole
heart- choice of Christ for my portion and hap-
piness ! and then I shall never leave him, nor
turn back from following him, though the
present difSculties w ere much more, and the
present encouragements much less.

Upon the catching of a horse in a fat pas-
ture.
WHEN this horar^was kept in poor short
lees^ where he had much scope, but little grass,
how gentle and tractable was he then? He

119

would not only stand quiet to be taken, but
come to band of his own accord, and follow
ine up and down the field for a crust of breads
or handful of oats ; but since I turned him
into this fat pasture, he comes no more to me,
nor will suffer me to come near him, but throws
up his heels wantonly against me, and fliea
from me, as if I was rather his enemy than
benefactor. In this I behold the carriage of
my own heart towards God, who the more he
hath done for me, the seldomer doth he hear
from me ; in a low and afflicted state, how
tractable is my heart to duty? Then it comes
to the foot of God voluntarily. But in an
exalted condition, how wildly doth my heart
turn from God and duty ? With this ungrate-^
ful requital God faulted his own people, Jer.
iii. 1. teachable and tractable in the wilder^
ness, but when fatted in that rich pasture of
Canaan, "Then we are lords, we will come
"no more to thee.^^ How soon are all God^s
former benefits forgotten ? And how often is
that ancient observation verified, even in his
own people ?

" No sooner do we gifts on some bestow,
" But presently our gifts grej-headed grow."

But that is a bad tenant, that will maintain
a suit at law against his landlord with his own
rent ; and a bad heart, that will fight against
God with his own mercies^. 1 wish it may be
with my heart, as it is reported to be with the
waters in the kingdom of Congo, that are
never so sweet to the taste, as when the tide
is at the highest.

120

Upon the hard Labor and cruel Usage of
Beasts.

When under loads, your beasts do groan, think then
How great a mercy 'tis that you are men.

OBSERVATION.
THOUGH some men are very careful
and tender over their beasts ; yet others are
cruel and merciless towards them, not regard-
ing how they ride or burden them. How oftea
have I &tt\\ them fainting under their loads,,
wrought off their legs, and turned out with
galled backs, into the fields or high-ways to
shift for a little grass; many times I have
heard and pitied them, groaning under unrea-
sonable burdens, and beaten on by merciless
drivers, till at last, by such cruel usage, they
have been destroyed.

APPLICATION.

Such sights as these should make us
thankful for the mercy of our creation, and
bless our bountiful Creator, that we were
not made such creatures.

Man was made for nobler ends, created
lord of the lower world ; not to serve, but to
be served by other creatures ; a mercy that
should melt the hardest heart into thankful-
ness. I remember, Luther pressing men to be
thankful, that they are not brought into the
lowest condition of creatures, and to bless
God that they can see any creature below
themselves, gives us a famous instance iu the
.following story: Two Cardinals p saith he^

121

riding in a great deal of pomp to the council
of Constance, by the way they heard a man
in the fields, weeping and wailing bitterly ;
they rode to him, and ask'd him what he
ailed ? Perceiving his eye intently fixed upon
an ugly toad, he told them that his heart melt-
ed with the consideration of this mercy, that
God had not made him sue!) a deformed and
loathsome creature, being formed out of the
same clay : this is that w hich makes me w eep
bitterly. Whereupon one of the Cardinals
observed, the unlearned will rise and take
heaven, when we with all our learning shall
be thrust into ^^ outer darkness. ^^ That
w hich melted the heart of this poor man,
should melt every heart when we behold the
misery to which these poor creatures are sub-
jected. And this w^ill appear a mercy of no
slight consideration, if we but draw a com-
parison betwixt ourselves and these irrational
creatures, in these three particulars.

i. Though they and we were made of the
same mould and clay, j'et how much better
hath God dealt with us, even as to the outward
man ? The structure of our bodies is much
more excellent ; God made other good crea-
tures by a word of command, but man by
counsel ; it was not, Be thou, but, Let lis
make man. We might have been made stones
without sense, or beasts without reason, but
we were made men. The noble structure
and symmetry of our bodies invites our souls
not only to thankfulness but admiration.
Galen gave Epicurus one year's time to im-
agine a more commodious situation^ configura-

1^2

tion, or composition of any one part of a hu-
man body ; and (as one saith) if all the angels
in heaven had studied to this day, they could
not have cast the body of man into a more
curious mould,

3. In reference to beasts, oftentimes they
have little rest or ease, and live but a few
years, and those they do, are in bondage and
misery, groaning under the effects of others
sin ; but God liath provided better for us,
even as to our outward condition in the
world ; we have the more rest, because they
have so little. How many refreshments
and comforts hath God provided for us, of
which they are uncapable ? If we be weary
with labor, we can take our rest ; but fresh
or weary, they must stand to it, or sink under
it from day to day,

3. What a narrow capacity hath God given
to beasts ! What a large capacity to man !
they only are capable of a little sensitive
pleasure, by a little frisking in a green pas-
ture, which is all they are capable of : but
how comprehensive are our souls in their
capacities ? being made in the image of God,
and thereby can look beyond present things,
capable of the highest happiness, and that to
all eternity. The soul of a beast is but a
material form, and dies with the body ; but
our souls are a divine spark, and subsists even
in its separate state.

4. To reflect, how great a sin is ingratitude
to God, for such a common, but choice mercy
of creation and provision for us in this world?

123

There is no creature made worse by kindness,
but man. Kven the beasts acknowledge in
their way their benefactors ; ^' The ox knows
his owner, and the ass his master's crib/' &c.
O that we might consider seriously what the
higher and more excellent end of our creation
is, and endeavor to live up to it. If other-
wise it will be worse with us than the beasts,
though they are under bondage and misery,
it is but for a short time, death will ease them
of tlieir burdens, but we shall suJQTer (unless
we repent) a heavier burden than ever they
felt, having no account to give.

5. But those who devote their lives in grat-
itude and thankfulness, their ascriptions will
ascend in the presence of God, for the many
mercies they receive ; for the light and knowl-
edge of the great things of the gospel, which
gives them a hope of inconceivable glory and
felicity in the world to come.

THE POEM.

WHEN I behold a tired horse put on
With whip and spur, till all his strength be gone:
See streams of sweat run down his bleeding sides.
How little mercy's shewn by him who rides.
If I more thankful to my God would prove
Than such a rider merciless, 'twill move
My soul to praise : For who sees this, and can
But bless the Lord that he was made a man.
And such a sight the rider ought to move
This meditation duly to improve.
W^hat hath this creature done, that he should be
Thus beaten, wounded, and tir'd out by me ?

He is my fellow-ereatnre ; 'tig mere grace

I had not been in his, he in my case.

Ungratefu^l, stupid man ! God might have made

Me bear the saddle, as I see this jade.

He never sinn'd, but for my sin doth lie

Subjected unto all this misery.

Xiord, make my heart relent, that I should be

To thee more useless, than my horse to me :

He did his utmost, went as long as ever

His legs could bear him ; but for me, I never

Thus spent my strength for God, but oft have been

Too prodigal thereoHn ways of sin.

Though he's tlie horse, and I the man, 'twill be

Far better with my horse one day than me :

Unless thy grace prevent and superadd

A new creation unto that I had.

Could every rider fix a serious thought

On such a subject, and be hereby taught

To spiritualize it, and improve it thus ;

How sweet would tedious journeys be to us I

But such a task, a graceless heart tires out,

More than the tired horse 1 write about.

NAVIGATION SPIRITUALIZED,

VARIED.

CHAP. I.

In the vast ocean spiritual eyes descry
God's boundless mercy and eternity.

OBSERVATION.

THE ocean is of a vast extent and depth,
though supposedly measurable, yet not to be
sounded by man. It compasseth about the
whole earth, which, in the account of geog-
raphers, is twenty-one thousand and six hun-
dred miles in compass ; yet the ocean envi-
rons it on every side. Tlie poet observes,

He spread the sea, which when he did command,
To swell with winds, and compass round the land.

And for its depth, who can discover it ? Th^
sea in scripture is called the deep. The
gathering together of the waters in one place.
Gen. i. 9. If the vastest mountain were cast
into it, it would appear no more than the head
of a pin in a ton of water.

APPLICATION.
This, in a lively manner, shows forth the
infinite and incomprehensible mercy of our
God, which is said to be over all his works.
High as the heavens above the earth, which
are so high and vast, that the whole earth is
but a small point to them. His mercies (like
the depth of the sea) can swallow up moun-
11

126

tains as well as mole hills ; refer to the scrip-
tures respecting Manasseh^ Paul^ and many
others. It has invited fornicators, idolaters,
covetous, drunkards, those to whom the spirit
of God aims at, if they will submit to the
terms, on which his mercy is tendered.

In the vastness of the ocean, we have also
a lively emblem of eternity. Who can com-
prehend or measure the ocean but God ? And
who can comprehend eternity, but He that is
said to inhabit it ? Though shallow rivers
may be drained and dried up, yet the ocean
cannot. And though these transitory days,
months, and years will at last expire, and
determine ; yet eternity shall not. O ! it is
a long word ! and amazing matter ! what is
eternity, but a constant permanency of persons
and things, in one and the same state and
condition for ever ; putting them beyond all
possibility of change ? The heathens used
to compare it by a circle, or a snake twisted
round. It will be therefore to us all, either
a perpetual day or night, which cannot be
measured, so neithef can it be diminished.
When thousands of years are gone, there is
not a minute lesa to come. Drexelius illus-
trates it by this similitude : Suppose^ a bird
was to come once in a thousand years to some
vast mountain of sand, and carry away in her
bill one sand in a thousand years ; O what a
vast time would it be e'er that immortal bird,
after that rate, should carry off the mountain !
and yet in time it may be done, for there
would be some diminution ; but in eternity
there can be none. Also, in time there is a

127

succession^ one generation, year and day
passeth, and another comes. In time there
is an alteration of condition and states, but
not so in eternity. In this world, a man may
be poor to-day, and rich to-morrow ; sickly
and diseased this week, and well the next ;
now in honour, but soon in contempt. But
no change passes upon us in eternity. As
the tree falls at death, so it lies for ever. If
in heaven, there thou art a pillar ; if other-
wise, misery will be the consequence.

REFLECTION.

And is the mercy of God like the great
deep, an ocean that none can fathom ? What
unspeakable comfort is this to me? may the
pardoned soul say. Did Israel rejoice when
the Lord destroyed their corporeal enemies
in the seas ? And shall I not break forth
into his praises, who hath drowned all my
sins in the depth of mercy ? O my soul, bless
the Lord, and let his l.igh praises ever be in
thy mouth, O my God, who is like unto
thee ! that pardoneth iniquity, transgression,
and sin. What mercy, but the mercy of a
God could cover such abominations as mine ?

But O ! what serious reflections will con-
science make from hence, upon all despisers
of mercy, when the sinner's eyes comes to be
opened too late for mercy, to do them good !
We have (say they) heard, that the king of
heaven was a merciful king, but wc would
make no address to him, whilst that sceptre
was stretched out. We heard of balm in
Gilead, and a physician there; that was able

128

and willing to cure all our wounds, but we
would not commit ourselves to him. We
read, that the arms of Christ were open to
embrace and receive us, hut we would not*
O unparalleled folly ! O soul- destroying mad-
ness ! now the womb of mercy is shut up,
and shall bring forth no more mercies for me
for even Now the gates of grace are shut^
and no cries can open them.

Mercy acted its part, and has quitted the
stage ; and now justice enters the scene, and
will be for ever glorified upon me. How
often did I hear the bowels of compassion
sounding in the gospel. for me ! But my im-
penitent heart would not relent ; but it is now
too late, I am now past out of the ocean of
mercy, into the ocean of eternity, and shall
never hear the voice of mercy more.

O dreadful eternity ! O soul-confounding
word ! An ocean indeed, to which this
ocean is but a drop ; for in thee no soul shall
see either bank or bottom. If I lie but one
night under strong pain of body, how tedious
doth that night seem ! And how do 1 countthe
dock and v/ish for day ! In the world 1 might
have had life but would not. And now, how
fain would I have death but cannot ? How
quick were my sins in execution ? And how
long is their punishment in duration. Oh
that God would but vouchsafe one treaty
more ! But alas ! all treaties are now at an
end with me. Therefore my soul now con-
slider these things, and let us debate this
iiiatter seriously; before we launch out into
this ocean.

1SQ

THE POEM.

Who from some liigh-rais'd tower views tlie ground,
His heart doth tremble, and his head goes round ;
Even so my soul, whilst it doth view and think
On this eternity, upon whose brink
It borders, stands amaz'd, and doth cry,
O boundless ! bottomless eternity !
The scourge of hell, whose very lash doth rend
Unhappy souls in twain : What ! never end ?
The more thereon they ponder, think, and pore,
The more, poor wretches, still they cry and roar.
Ah ! though more years in torments we should lie.
Than sands are on the shores, or in the sky
Are twinkling stars ; yet this gives some relief I
The hope of ending. Ah ! but here's the grief !
A thousand years in torments past and gone^
Ten thousand more afresh are coming on ;
And when these thousands all their course have run,
The end's no more than when it first begun.
Come then, my soul, let us discourse together
This weighty point, and tell me plainly whether
You for these short-liv'd joys, that come and go^
Will plunge yourself and me in endless woe.
Resolve the question quickly, do not dream
More time away. Lo, in an hasty stream
We swiftly pass, and shortly we shall be
Ingulphed both in this eternity.

CHAP. II.

The geamen's greatest danger's near the coast,
When we are nearest heav'n, the danger's most*
OBSERVATION.
THOUGH seamen meet with violent
atorms; yet if tbey have sea-room enougV

they are not fearful : but if they find them-
selves near the shore^ they look upon their
situation very hazardous : the sight of the
shore is to them, like the shadow of death;
if not able to weather it.

APPLICATfOiV.

The greatest difficulties that many saints
meet with in all their lives, is when they
eome nearest to heaven, and have almost fin-
ished their course. Heaven indeed is a glo-
rious place, the spacious, and royal mansions
of the great King — having a straight and
narrow entrance — O the difficulty of arriving
there ! how many hard tugs in duty^ what
earnest contention and striving, evea to an
agony ! Multitudes, however, put forth, and
by profession are bound for this^air haven :
but of the multitudes that put out, hov*^ few
do arrive there ? A man may set out by a
glorious profession, with much resolution, he
may offer very fair for it, and npt be far from
the kingdom of God, and yet not be able to
enter at last, Matthew vii. S3.

Yea many of those who are sincere, and do
arrive at last^ yet come to heaven with much
difficulty, and put in, as a poor weather-beat-
en vessel comes into the harbour, more like a
wreck, than a ship, neither mast nor sail left.
But then there are others who go in with full
sail before the wind, and have an abundant
entrance : going triumphing out of the world.
Ah ! when we arrive at the narrow channel,
the soul then is in the most serious frame, all
ihings look with a new face ; conscience

131

scans over our evidence most critically, re-
flections arise as to our pa^st conduct through
life.

REFLECTION.

If this be so, how inevitable is my perdi-
tion, may the careless soul say ! If they who
strive so much, and go so far, yet perish at
last ; and if the righteous are scarcely saved,
then where shall such an ungodly creature as
I appear. If they who have made religion
their business, and pursuing a work of morti-
fication, and walking humbly with God : yet
if some of these have such a hard tug at
last, then what will become of such a vain,
careless, flesh-pleasing wretch as I have been?
Again, if saints find it so straight an entrance.
Then, though I have a well grounded hope
of a safe arrival at last, yet let me look to it,
that I do not increase the difficulty. Ah ! they
are the things, that are now done or omitted,
that put conscience into such an agony then,
O my soul now beware of sin, as it may
occasion my death bed full of thorns, when £
come to lie down in it, or rather let me say
with Hezekiah, *^ Remember now, O Lord,
how 1 have walked before thee in truth, and
with a perfect heart/^

THE POEM.

After a tedieus passage, saints descry
The glorious shore, salvation being nigh • _
Death's long-boat's lauriehM, jeady to set ashore
Their panting souls ; O how they lug at oar.
Longing to be at rest : but then they find
The hardest tug of all is yet behind.

Just at the liarbour^s mouth they see the wreck

Of souls there east away, and driven back.

A world of dang'rous rocks before them lie ;

The harbour's barr'd, and now the wind blows high :

Thoughts now arise^ fears multiply apace ;

All things now about them have another face.

Life blazes, just like an expiring light,

The soul's upon the lip preparM for flight.

Death, till the resurrection, tears and rends,

Out of each other's arms, two parting friends,

The soul and body. Ah ! but more thaji so

Satan falls upon them e're they go,

With new temptations, back'd with althis power !

And scruples kept on purpose for that hour.

This is the last encounter, now, or never ;

If he succeedeth now, they're gone for ever.

Thus in they put, with hardships at the last,

As ships out of a storm, nor sails, nor mast :

Yet some go in before a wind, and have

Their streamer of assurance flying brave.

Lord give me easier entrance, if thou please;

Or if I may not there arrive with ease,

Yet I beseech thee, set me safe ashore,

Tho' stormy winds at harbour's mouth should roar.

CHAP. in.

How glad are seamen when they make the shore ?
And saints, no less, when all their danger's o'er.

OBSERVATION.
WHAT joy is there among seamen^ vvheia
at last, after a tedious and dangerous voyage,
they descry land, and see the desired haven
before them ? Then they turn out of their
loathed cabinS; and come on deck, address

133

their sliipmaLtes in their usual phrase^ What
cheer ho P rejoicing that their perilous fears
are at an end. They can now reflect with
comfort on the many dangers they have
escaped*'

APPLICATION.

But O what a transcendent joy, yea, rav-
ishing, will over-run the hearts of saints,
when, after so many conflicts, temptations,
and afliictions, they arrive in glory, and are
harboured in heaven, where they shall rest
for ever ! The scripture saith, ^^They shall
sing the song of Moses, and of the Lamb.^^
The song of Moses was a triumphant song,
composed for the celebration of that glorious
deliverance at the Red Sea. The saints are
now fluctuating upon a troublesome and tem-
pestuous sea ; their hearts sometimes ready
to sink, and die within them, at the appre-
hension of so many and great dangers and
difficulties. Many a hard storm they ride
out, and many straits and troubles they here
encounter with, but at last they arrive at their
desired and long expected haven, and then
heaven rings and resounds m ith their joyful
acclamations. And how can it be otherwise,
when as soon as ever they set foot upon that
glorious shore, Christ himself meets and re-
ceives them, with a ^^ Come ye blessed of my
FsLther.*^ O joyful voice ! O much desired
word ! saith Paraeus, what tribulation would
not a man undergo for this word's sake !

Besides, then they are perfectly freed from
all evils; whether of sia or suffering, a,nd

131^

perfectly filled with all desired good. Now
they shall join with the great assembly^ in the
high praises of God. O what a day will this
be ! if, said a worthy divine, Diagoras died
away with an excess of joy, whilst he em-
braced his three sons that were crowned as
victors in the Olympic games in one day :
and good old Simeon, when he saw Christ
but in a body subject to the infirmities of our
nature, cried out, '^ Now let thy servant de-
part in peace ; what unspeakable joy will it
be to the saints, to behold Christ in his glory,
and see their godly relations also (to whose
conversion, perhaps, they have been instru-
mental) all crowned, in one day, with ever-
lasting diadems of bliss ! and if the stars did,
" as Ignatius saith, make a^ choir, as it were,
about that star that appeared at Christ's in-
carnation, and there is such joy in heaven at
the conversion of a sinner; no wonder, then,
the morning stars sing together, and the sons
of God shout for joy, when the general as-
sembly meet in heaven : O how will the
arches of heaven ring, and echo, when the
high praises of God shall be in the mouths of
such a congregation ! then shall the saints
be joyful in glory, and sin'g aloud upon their
beds of everlasting rest.

REFLECTION.

And is there such a day approaching for
the sons of God, indeed ! and have 1 author-
ity to call myself one of the number! O
then let me not droop at present difficulties^
nor hang down my hands when 1 meet with

135

hardships in the way. O my soul, what a
joyful day will this be ! for at present we are
tossed upon an ocean of troubles, fears and
temptations ; but these will make heaven the
sweeter.

Cheer up, then, O my soul, thy salvation
is now nearer than when thou first believedst,
and it will not now be long e're I receive the
end of my faith, and then it will be sweet to
reflect even upon these hardships in the way.
Yet a few days more, and then comes that
blessed day thou hast so long waited and
panted for. Oppose the glory of that day,
O my soul, to thy present abuses and suffer-
ings, as blessed Paul did, and thou shalt see
how it will shrink them all up to nothing ;
oppose the inheritance thou shalt receive in
that day, to thy losses for Christ now; and
see how joyfully it will make thee bear them,
oppose the honour that will be put upon thee
in that day, to thy present reproaches, and
see how easy it will make them to thee.
What condition can 1 be in, wherein the be-
lieving thoughts of this blessed day cannot
relieve me ?

Am I poor, here is that which answers
poverty. '^ Hearken, my beloved brethren,
hath not God chosen the poor of this world,
rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?''

Am 1 tempted ? here is relief against that,
^^ Now is come salvation and strength; for
the accuser of our brethren is cast down.'^

Am I deserted ? Here is a remedy for
that too, ^^And there shall be no night there/'

136

Come then, my soul^ let us enter upon our
inheritance by degrees^ and begin the life of
heaven upon earth.

THE POEM.

WHEN Solomon in Israel first was king,

Heav'n*s arches, earth's foundations, seem'd to ring

AVith joyful acclamations ? How much more

Will heav'n resound, when saints are come a-shore i

How will the ravish'd souls transported be

At the first glimpse of Christ ! whom they shall see

In all his glory ; and shall live, and move,

Like salamanders, in the fire of love.

A flood of tears convey'd them to the gate

Where endless joys receiv'd them. Now the date

Of all their sorrow's out ; henceforth they walk

In robes of glory. Now there's no more talk

Of fears, temptations, of that snare, or this:

No serpent in this paradise doth hiss.

No more desertions, troubled thoughts, or tears ;

Christ's full enjoyment supersedes those fears.

Delights of princes' courts are all but toys

To these delights, these are traseendent joys,

The joys of Christ himself; of what they are.

An angel's tongue would stammer to declare.

Were our conceptions clear, did their tongues go

Unto their Ela, yet the note's too low.

What I paint the sun too bright ! it cannot be;

Sure heaven suffers no hyperbole.

My thoughts are swailow'd up, my muse doth tire,

And hang her wings, conception soars no higher* ,

Give me a place among thy children there.

Although I lie with them in dungeons here.

137

CHAP. IV.

Look at the sea by turns, doth ebb and flow j

So their estates, that use it, come and go.

What dangers seamen run for Uttle gains,

Who, for their souls, would ne'er take half the pains I

OBSERVATION.

THE sea hath its alternate course and mo-
tioa, its ebbings and flowings ; no sooner is it
high water, but it begins to ebb again, and leave
the shore naked and dry, which but a little be-
fore, it covered and overflovired. And as its
tides, so also its waves are the emblems of in-
constancy, still rolling and tumblings this way
and that^ never fixed and quiet.

APPLICATION.

Thus unstable and inconstant are all out-
ward things, there is no depending on them,
nothing of any substance, or any solid con-
sistence in them. Riches often make to
themselves wings and fly aw^ay as an eagle to^
wards heaven. In flying to us, saith saint
Augustine, they have scarce a sparrow's wings,
but in flying from us, wings as an eagle. We
are all subject to vanity by sin, the scrip,
tures saith. As the flowers of the grass, so shall
the rich man fade away. Many a man out-
lives his estate and honour, and stands in the
world as a bare dry stalk in the field, whose
IS

138

flower, beauty and brandies are gone^, one pnJBF
of wind l>i«)v\s it away^ one churlish easterly
blast shrivels it up.

How mad a thing is it, then, for any man to
be lifted up in j.ride, upon such a vanity as this
is^ — to build so lofty an overjetting a roof, upon
such a feeble, tottering foundation? None
have more frequent experience of this, than
you that are merchants, and seamen, whose
estates are floating ; and yet such as have had
the highest security in the eye of reason,
have, notv^ ithstaudingj experienced the vanity
of these things. History likewise informs us,
Henry the 4th, a potent prince, was so reduced
that he petitioned for a prebend^s place in the
church of Spire. Gallimer, king of the Van-
dals, was brought so low that he sent to his
friend for a sponge to dry up his tears, a loaf
of bread to maintain his life, and an harp to
sidace himself in his misery. The story of
Bellisaritis is very affecting, a man famous in
his time, general of an army, yet having his
eyes put out, and stripped of all earthly com-
forts, was led through the streets crying,
^' Give one penny to poor Bellisarius.^' Men
therefore of the greatest estates and honour,
have nevertheless become the very scorn of
fortune. Oh then ! what a folly is it, to set
the lieart^ and let out the afi'ections^n them.

REFLECTION.

If the creature therefore is so vain and tan-
stable — then why are our affecti(Uis so hot
and eager after it, and doat upon its beauty ?

139

Inay our spirits therefore be raised above
them, and uur conversation more in Heaven —
As the angel from thence, having one foot oa
the sea, and another on the earth, having a
crown upon his head — May we therefore set
one foot u[)on all the cares, fears, and terrors
of the world, and another upon all the tempt-
ing s[)lendor and glory of it, treading both
under foot in the dust, and crowning ourselves
with nothing but spiritual excellencies and
glory.

THE POEM.

Judge in thyself O Christian ! is it meet

To set thy heart on what beasts set their feet ?

^Tis no hyperbole, if you be told,

You dig for dross, with mattocks made of gold.

Affections are too costly to bestow

Upon such fair fac'd nothings here below.

The eagle scorns to fall down from on high,

(The proverb saith) to catch the silly fly :

And can a Christian leave the face of God,

T' embrace the earth, or doat upon a clod ?

Can earthly things thy heart so strangely move,

To tempt it down from the delights above ;

Like thoughtless seamen who their cabins sweep

And trim, when all is sinking in the deep :

Or like the silly bird, that to her nest

Doth carry straws, and never is at rest,

Till it be feather'd well, but doth not see

The axe beneath, that's hewing down the tree..

If on a thorn thy heart itself repose

With such delight, what if it were a rose ?

Admire O saint, the wisdom of thy God,

Who of the self same tree doth make a rod,

Lest thou should surfeit on forbidden fruit.

And live not like a saint, but like a brute.

140

CHAP. V.

Tho' many fears and dangers seamen run,
Yet all's forgotten when they do return.
A little leak neglected, dangerous proves :
One sin connived at, the soul undoes.

OBSERVATION.

THE smallest leak, if not timely discovered
and stopt, is enough to sink a ship of the great-
est burden : therefore seamen frequently try
what water is in the hold ; and if they find it
fresh, and increasing upon them, they ply the
pump, and set the carpenters to search for it
and stop it, and till it be discovered they can-
not be quiet.

APPLICATION.

What such a leak is to a ship, is similar to
the smallest sin neglected to the soul ; it is
enough to ruin it eternally. No sin, though
ever so small is tolerated by the pure and per-
feet law of (rod, which extends to all our
words, thoughts, actions and affections : lay-
ing a restraint upon them all, conniving at no
evil in any man. And as the word gives no
allowance for the least sin, so it is the very
nature of sincerity and uprightness, to set the
heart against every way of wickedness, and
especially that sin which so easily besets us ;
(as the philosopher observes) Sin is of the
whole kind j those who hate sin, as sin, and

141

so (loth every upright soul, hate all sins as
well as some.

Again, the soul that hath experienced a
sight of Christ and a discovery of the evil of
sin, in the glass both of tbe law and gospel,
can account no sin small. He knows the de-
merits of tbe smallest sin is God's displeasure,
and that not the least sin can be remitted,
without the application of the blood of Christ.
To conclude, God's people know, that little, as
well as great sins, are dangerous, deadly and
destructive in their own nature ; a little poisoa
will destroy a man. Adrian was choaked
with a gnat. Caesar was stabbed with bodkins,
Adam's sin, (many suppose) was not great —
but the scripture informs us what dreadful
work it made ! not as a single bullet to kill
himself only, but as a chain-shot, which cut
off all his poor posterity. Indeed, no sin can
be little, because its object, against whom it
may be committed, is so great, whence it re-
ceives a kind of infiniteness in itself, and be-
cause the price paid to redeem us from it, is so
invaluable.

REFLECTION.

And is the smallest sin not only destructive
in its own nature, but will certainly prove the
ruin of that soul that hides and covers it*
Look to it then, O my soul, that no sin be in-
dulged by thee — let me never say of any sin
as Lot did to Zoar, <^ It is a little one spare
it.'' if our hearts are right, and our con-
versation sound, that lust, whatever it be, that
IS*

14S

is so favoured by me, would be abhorred, and
hated. Whatever my convictions and refor-
mation have been, yet if there be but one sin
retained, and delighted in, this keeps Satan's
interest still in my soul, and though for a time
he seems to depart, yet at last he will return
with seven worse spirits ; and this is the sin
that will open the door to him, and deliver up
my soul ; therefore let me make thorough work
of it ; let me cut it off, and pluck it out, though
it be as a right hand, or e^Ct To come so
near the kingdom of God, and yet to stick at
so small a matter, and lose all for the indulge
ing of one sin ; let me rather shed the blood
of the dearest lust* for his sake who shed his
dearest blood for me.

THE POEM.

There's many a soul eternally undone
For sparing sin because a little one.
But we are much deceived ; no sin is small,
That wounds so great a God, so dear a soul.
Yet say it were, the smallest penknife may,
As well as sword, or lance, despatch and slay.
And shall so small a matter part and sever
Christ and thy soul ? What ! make you part for

ever ?
Or wilt thou stand on toys with him, when he
Deny'd himself in greatest things for thee ?
Or will it be an ease in hell to think
How easily thy soul therein did sink ?
Are Christ and hell for trifles sold and bought ?
Strike souls with trembling, Lord, at such a

thought ;
By little sins belov'd, the soul is lost,
Unless such sins do great repentance cost*

143

Of all the dreadful works of God, we find

No metaphors to paint a troubled mind.

'Tis like the raging sea that casts up mire,

Or like to ^tna breathing smoke and fire ;

O conscience ! who can stand before thy power.

Endure thy gripes, and twinges but an hour ?

Stone, gout, strappado, racks, whatever is

Dreadful to sense, is but a toy to this.

No pleasures, riches, honours, friends, can tell

How to give ease : In this 'tis like to hell.

Call for the pleasant timbrel, lute and harp ;

Alas ! the music howls, the pains too sharp

For these to charm, divert, or lull asleep :

These cannot reach it, no, the wound's too deep.

Let all the promises before it stand,

And set a Barnabas at its right hand,

These in themselves no comfort can afford,

'Tis Christ, and none but Christ, can speak the

word.
And he no sooner speaks, but all is still.
The storm is over, and the mind tranquil.

CHAP. VI.

Concluding SpeecJi.

I have now done and am looking to heaven
for a blessing upon these labours ; what use you
will make of them 1 know not ; you, however,
are accountable for this, and all other helps
and means afforded you ; and if they are not
thus improved, they will be produced as a wit-
ness against you. Therefore I request you
all, both officers and common men, and all
others, into whose hands this shall come, that
you will lay to heart what you read. Alas !

144

if yon apply it not to yourselves, 1 have la-
bouied to no purpose ; the pen of the scribe is
in vain, but God may make such an applica-
tion of them in a storm, as may make your
heiirts to tremble. O sirs ! when death and
eternity look you in the face, conscience may
reflect upon these things to your horror and
amazement, and then cause you to reflect,
" Hov^ have 1 hated knowledge, and have not
" obeyed the voice of my teacher.'* But if the
Lord shall bless these things to your conver-
sion^ then 1 may say to you, as Moses said to
the mariner's tribe — Hejoice Zebulun in thy
going out : The Lord be with you, which way
soever you go ; and being thus in the bosom
of the covenant, you are safe in the midst of
all dangers : O thou who art the Father of
spirits, who formedst and canst easily reform
the heart, open thou the blind eye, unstop the
deaf ear, let the word take hold upon the hearty
if thou wilt but say the word, these weak la-
hours shall prosper, to bring home many lost
souls unto ihee. Amen.

MEDITATIONS.

SELECTED FROM THE CHRISTIAN MONITOR.

FIRST.

Our Father. Matt. vi. 9.

HERE is the whole gospel in one word.
Our father in heaven loves us his children, and
provides for our happiness, and directs by his
providence the course of our education. The
gospel contains the messages and warnings of
his parental grace ; and they were sent by his
well beloved son. But there are some who
abuse the goodness of God, and, from the
abounding of his grace, are encouraged to con-
tinue in sin. Others live without God, and
others disregard him ! Distressful impiety !
Children of disobedience, take warning ; con-
sider that God is a lawgiver and judge as well
as a father ; and if ye turn not at his reproof,
and set at nought all bis counsel, he will
mock when your fear cometh ; you shall call,
but he will not answer ; you will seek, but
not find. The same tribunal which pronoun-
ces, Come ye blessed, will utter, Depart ye
cursed. Full of prayers we beseech sinners
to be reconciled to God, who waiteth to be
gracious, but his spirit will not always strive
with you. His goodness should lead us to re-
pentance. Approach boldly the throne of his
grace, that you may obtain both grace and
help.

146

SECOND.

How shall T do this ^reat icicJcedness avd sin
against God P Gen. xxxix, lO.

What tenderness of conscience, what roli-
gions sefisihility. is exprei^setl in these words !
Powerful enticenient : but deprived of its
whole influence b;y three words, God seeth me.
With this thought the tremulous heart, like
the needle to the pole, is turned speedily to
thn point of reotitude. The religious man is a
sure law to himself, No infiiuiity of nature,
strength of temptation, nor sophistry of reason-
ing, can seduce him to wilful disobedience.
Joseph w as born of God ; he could not com-
mit sin, for it was contrary to his spiritual na-
ture. With constant jealousy let us watch
ourselves, lest at any time God should not be
in our thoughts, and so we displease and
offend him by our deeds. When the inter-
course of man with his maker is suspended,
there is little security against the defilements
of sin. Religion confers a fortitude and per-
severance of mind which no adversary can
prevailingly resist ; the good man, from the
good treasuie of his heart, bringeth forth good
things. ^' Walk before me : be thou perfect.^^
Here is an epitome of practical religion. If
w^e obey this one precept, we shall obey every
other; no temptation can wound us. Walk-
ing in the presence of God we are in the sure
road to perfection ; we shall go from weak-
ness to strength; and from strength to glory.

147

THIRD.

Gather up the fragments that nothing he lost.
John vi, 12.

Blessed Jesus ! how well do thy miracles
comport with thy character^ and illustrate thy
mercy. The eyes of the hungry wait on thee^
and thou givest them meat in due season ;
thou stretchest forth the hand of thy power^
the bread multiplies^ the five loaves and two
fishes become plenteousness. The multitude
sit down at thy command^ and there is sufficient
for every one. A miracle : it excites our as?,
tonishment, and even extends the belief of
many. But a like miracle is wrought every
year. The grain we sow is multiplied; the
bread is multiplied in the hands of the disci-
ples who distributed it. The same omnipo-
tence does both.

Hut we read, Gathei* up the fragments, that
nothing be lost. What need of this, when it
is so easy to make loaves? I do not know.
But this page in the gospel well agrees with
the book of nature : for, amidst all the '' pro-
fusions of divine bounty, (xod hatli so consti-
tuted the world that there should be no waste,
and there is none. He iveighed the dust and
measured the water, when the worlil Wfis
made ; so much of each. The same quaoHty
still remains. The decayed leaves nourish tiie
tree, from which they fell. Something ;;ath-
ers up all fragments, and it is the voice nf hlai
who made the world; ^ Let nothing be lost.^^^

148

Husbands and housewives, be frugal. Let
not the accusation, that you have wasted his
goods, be preferred to the great husbandman
in heaven* Nothing will contribute more to
ease in living, than frugality. A second only
may be required to pick up a corn, but a
minute perhaps to raise one. With economy
we may keep out of debt, live in plenty, enter-
tain strangers, have our children clean and
warm, and something left to assist a friend in
troubles, and also to give a poor, sick neigh-
bour. Though we labor six days with ever
so much diligence, yet wastefulness will leave
us nothing to eat on the seventh. Wasteful-
ness is like the horseleech, crying, Give, give j
but is never satisfied, nor says, It is enough.

Reason, religion, self-interest, all say,
Gather up the fragments. Be frugal of bread ;
of money ; of time ; of strength ; of every
thing ; and particularly economize with reason^
nor waste the powers of the mind in trifling
contests, but reserve their best exertions to de-
fend the truth, and especially that all compre-
hensive truth; He that is wise, is wise for hira-
self»

FOURTH.

Speak not evil one of another , irethren.
James iv. H.

No vice receives more countenance in socie-
ty than evil speaking ; and yet no vice is
more frequently checked by the genuine prin*

149

ciples of christian goodness. If I am humble^
I shall open my eyes to my own, and not my
neighbour's defect. If I am charitable^ I shall
hardly believe, much less utter, what I wish
not true. If I am just^ I shall do to others
what i would they should do to me, i. e. Be
silent when they cannot commend. If we
cannot save a man from infamy, O let us not
assist in overwhelming him with disgrace.
Perhaps he has repented of his sin. fehall 1
proclaim the disgrace of one, whom (rod has
forgiven ? Let us remember a backsliding
neighbour in our secret prayers to God, but
forget him in the presence of men. That
tongue w^hich blesses the Father, and confcHses
Christ, ought never to utter an evil report.
A brother, a sister, has fallen. A holy exam-
ple will sooner reclaim, than bitter censure.
Besides, if we shew no mercy, how shall we
approach with the least confidence the throne
of grace, and pray God to cover our trangres-
sions ? Wherefore, lay aside all evil speak-
ings. Judge not, that ye be not judged.

FIFTH.

Entreat the younger [^women^ as sisters, with
all purity. 1 Tim. v. S.

Have we any unchaste desires towards sis-
ters ? No. We ought not to have any to-
wards our female acquaintances and compan-
ions, but treat them with respect and affection.
13

1 30

This behaviour indicates a cultivated mind,
real liunianily, a christian spirit, moral dis-
cernment, and delicacy,

As sisters. We are friendly towards sis-
tersj aflectionate, and attentive. The femp.le
sex are entitled to a similar regard, and may
justly demand a similar conversation. 1 am a
young man. I will be the generous friend of
every young woman with whom 1 have inter-
course : take an interest in her pleasures and
pains ; and adapt my behaviour to her condi-
tion in life and mode of education. 1 will
love her, and be desirous of her improvement
and welfare. I will exercise the benevolent
affections, and perform every needed act of
kindness ; but heaven grant, that it may be
with all purity ; that every sister may witness
and applaud my chaste conversation, coupled
with respect ; that no evil thoughts may pro-
ceed out of my heart ; that I may never defile
the temple of God. Let me ever esteem it the
highest honor of character to protect female
virtue ; to suggest no temptation which may
endanger female innocence ; to extinguish
every incentive to vice. Let no corrupt com-
munication proceed from my mouth. May
God preserve me, soul and body, undefiled,
and cleanse me from all filthiness of flesh and
spirit !

151
SIXTH.

liepant and be Forgiven.

Repentance being a change of mind ac-
companied by a change of conduct, and being
most perfect when it proceeds from the fear of
God, from our love to Him, and humble confi-
dence in his mercy. It being most certain
when it is followed by a change of conduct ;
from viciousness to sobriety of manners ; from
habitual sinfulness, to habitual righteousness
of life. A man may be actuated through fear
of punishment, and change his conduct from
vice to virtue — this, however, does not imply
such a change of mind as is essential to true
repentance. When a man abstains from gross
enormities, merely to preserve his character ;
when he conceals his intemperance, pride,
envy, malignity, and other evil propensities,
merely to preserve his character from censure,
and for the purpose of exhibiting a fair outside
to the world : When a man fails in his busi-
ness, and is of course in a state of insolvency,
but in process of time (whether by the assistance
of friends, or his own industry, or whatever
time may have elapsed,) retrieves his losses,
prospers in his affairs, so that he is enabled to
pay in part^ his arrearages, with some interest,
but withholds, or declines doing it, his heart is
not right — the old man is not put off — his re-
pentance is nothing. But when a man may
commit sin with secrecy, and to all human tribu-
nals with impunity ; when he may indulge his
sensuality ; gratify his revenge ; feed his ma-
lignity, &c. without endangering his health,

152

fame or fortune, and yet abstains from doing
them, being fully persuaded that God loves
him, and forbids nothing, but with a gracious
design to preserve him from misery here and
hereafter ; then his repentance is sincere ; his
obedience a reasonable service, his heart is in
a proper state of resignation, love and grati-
fude towards the author of all good.

SEVENTH.

The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of
mustard seed — and like unto leaven. Matt.
xiii. 31, 33.

How expansively has the christian faith been
propagated ! That which was spoken first in
the little province of Judea, was soon spread
among the isles of the Grentiles. The gospel
sound speedily extended into the families of
Shem, Ham, and Japheth ; yes, it spread joy in
Europe, Asia, and Africa, and disciples from
the east and west sat down with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Since the primitive age, how many living
thousands have reported the gospel narrative
of grace, and how many more still, with their
dying breath, have testified their belief of its
truth ! Yet in the beginning it had no support
from wealth or arms ; they were employed
against the cause of Christianity. Both learn-
ing and ignorance were enemies to the faith.
Its interests have been often betrayed through
the weakness of its real^ and the treachery of

103

Its pretended, friends. Notwithstanding all
these things, the grain of mustard sprouted,
vegetated, and has become a tree. Its leaves
have been the healing of the nations. Many a
wanderer has been sheltered under its branches.
JVlillions have been indebted for nourishment
and comfort to its fruit and its shade. The
leaven too of the gospel has expanded with
joy many an aching heart, l^y a mysterious
influence, and hidden operation, it has touched
with peace and pleasnre the chords distended
with fear, sorrow, and despair. Come, de-
clare your number, ye ignorant who have been
enlightened by that wisdom, which came from
above ; and your number, ye obstinate whose
hearts have been softened and opened to re-
ceive the words of salvation ; and your num-
ber, ye sorrow ful who have been comforted by
the compassion of Jesus ; and your number,
ye ill-fated Africans who have been restored
to freedom ! But stop, your stripes and your
blood this moment call for ve^ngeance on un-
christian oppressors. When shall the old
leaven of this cruelty and oppression be
purged away ? I'hough slavery be not abol-
ished, yet the condition of slaves is doubtless
much ameliorated in many instances by the in-
flueuce of christian principles.

Holy faith, once delivered to the saints ! let
us dwell on thy power. Thine influence im-
pregnates with mercy the warrior^s heart, and
he binds up the limbs he has mangled. States-
men, who know little of thy history and less
of thy principles, have been silent with venera-
tion of thy power. Thy lessons to those ou

154

the throne have been justice and judgment.
In the cottage thou inspires! frugality and con-
tentment. The travailing mother muses on
thy promise of being saved in child-bearing,
and they who draw near the gates of death
have rejoiced in the support of thy rod and
staff.

Is not something of thee to be seen among
all sects of Christians ? At St. Peter's, at St.
PauPs, at the conventicles, are there not sin-
cere believers ? Holy spirit of Christianity !
let me not despise the smallest token of thy
power, or lose one moment in gaining and dis-
persing thy blessed fruits. I am not ashamed
of thee. Thou didst command the veneration
of Locke, the ripest of human intelligences ;
by thee Watts knew the joys of heaven while
he staid on earth. Thou didst waft on the
wings of hope, our fathers over the Atlantic,
and invigorate their watchful labours by sea
and land. The Huron pants for the streams
of thy grace, apd the world is thirsty for thy
living waters.

EIGHTH.

But I say unto yoii^ Love your enemies. Matt.
V. 44.

Let us examine ourselves on this head.
An enemy has stained our reputation ; has hin-
dered our acquisition of honour ; has defraud-
ed us of our right ; he insults us under depres-
sioD; and the world ignorantly countenance all

155

these injuries. But we say we are above re-
venge^ aud despise so wicked an adversary,
This is not to love him. He has confessed
his error ; we have forgiven him^ and are fully
reconciled ; but we wish not to see him, or to
have any intercourse with him. Then we do
not love him. But we have so far conquered
our aversion, that we are willing to live on
good terms and be civil to him, though he can-
not reasonably expect many acts of friendship.
This is not love to him. Our hearts are still
estranged. The enemy is forgiven, but not
loved and treated as a brother. Rough ap-
pearances are smoothed away, but the inward
rancour is not removed. Let us enter the
closet and pray. ^"^ Almighty God ! 1 beseech
thee to heal the wounds which a proud sensi-
bility has made in my heart. Enable me to
forget the momentary injuries done me by a
brother. Pardon the crimes of my whole life ;
forgive the numerous trespasses which I have
trespassed against thee. Mine enemy is sick,
wilt thou heal him ; his children are profligate,
wilt thou reclaim them ; he threatens me with
new injuries, take from him his hostile pur-
poses, and forgive him, for he knows not what
he is doing. My pride has magnified his in-
juries, accept the sacrifice 1 now make of all
my resentments. Perfect me in obedience to
the precepts and in conformity to the example
of Jesus Christ. 1 aai reviled, keep me from
reviling again ; I sufler, preserve me from
threatening; unto thee who judgest righteously
1 commit myself. ^•dimenJ'^

156
NINTH.

If ye love them icho love you^ what reward have
ye ? do not even the publicans the same ?
Matt, V. 46.

Natural virtues are not to be confounded
with chris ian graces. The latter embrace
more objects, proceed from more exalted mo-
ti^esj and are more certain and durable in the
exercise. Politeness in manners, justice in
dealings, compassion to the distressed, grati-
tude to benefactors, and parental and filial af-
fectiun, may exist, without any religion. These
indt'ed are virtues deservedly praised in the
north and south, the east and west, and no one
can be a christian w ithout them. But they are
not of themselves the sure t<sts of a christian.
Publicans h»ve those who love them. Nature
invites to compa.^sion and gratitude. Self-in-
terest requires justice. Christianity is more
extensive in its principles ; it embraces new
objects, excites nevv fervours, and directs our
aims to new ends. Natui^l benevolence en-
twines around the heart of a father, a brother, a
benefactor, the sorrowful, the indigent. But
christian benevolence creates a bond of union
between the holy and virtuous ; it demands the
suppression even of natural feelings towards aa
enemy ; it embraces man with all his interests,
temporal, spiritual, and eternal. Am 1 a
christian^ or only a decent publican ?

ABRIDGMENT

BOOK OF JOB.

EXTRACTS.

The book of Job (an eminent divine ob-
serves) is full of excellent instruction, im-
pressed by forcible argument, sublime imagery
and description, and affecting example. Jt ex-
hibits in an interesting history the vicissitudes
of human affairs. It illustrates the vigilant
care, and vindicates the rectitude of provi-
dence, and proves the propriety of resignation
to the divine will. Through the whole of the
book we discover religious instruction shining
forth amidst the venerable simplicity of an-
cient manners ; and it every where abounds
with the noblest sentiments of piety, uttered
with the spirit of inspired conviction. It is a
work of great antiquity, perhaps the most an-
cient which remains on record. It is believed
to have been written by Moses, when he
dwelt with Jethro, king of Midian, to whose
1

%

dominious he fled for protection, after he had
slaia the Egyptian, who was insultins;, and
abusing an Hebrew. This is probable from
the very nature of the story, addressed to th^
Israelites in a state of oppression.

In the character and situation of Job, is
presented a great and good man suddenly in-
volved in the deepest adversity. His friends,
who came to condole with him, insinuate some
uncharitable suspicions ; and while they ex-
press many admirable remarks upon the deal-
ings of providence, seem to have limited, and
in some instances mistaken ideas of its econo-
my. But the statements of Klihu. seconded
by the declarations of the Almighty, silence
the murmurings of the suflferer ; and his con-
viction, penitence and humility, are recom--
pensed by a restoration of his health and
prosperity.

In reviewing this story, with a design of
drawing from it lessons of instruction, many
pages teem with sentences that speak to the
understanding and the heart ; every incident
and change of fortune have in them something
monitory ; and there is hardly a case in the
ordinary course of human life, in which one
may not advantageously consult the character
of Job for advice. From his example the
jjrosperous may learn a lesson of gratitude to
God, and benevolence and charity to man ;
and the afflicted may be taught submission to
the will of heaven, and to bear adversity witli
a tractable and patient spirit, assured that in
the end God will vindicate all his dealings,
and they will be fully convinced that trials

and sufferings will work out for them a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

^^ Many parts of the story of Job (says a
female writer) are obscure ; but it is well
worth studying, for the extreme beauty of the
poetry, and for the noble and sublime devo-
tion it contains. The subject of the dispute
between Job and his pretended friends seems
to be, whether the Providence of God dis-
tributes the rewards and punishments of this
life in exact proportion to the merit or de-
merit of each individual. His antagonists
suppose that it does ; and therefore infer from
Job's uncommon calamities, that, uotwith*
standing his apparent righteousness, he was
in reality a grievous sinner. They aggravate
his supposed guilt, by the imputation of hy-
pocrisy, and call upon him to confess it, and
to acknowledge the justice of his punishment.
Job asserts his own innocence and virtue in
the most pathetic manner, yet does not pre-
sume to accuse the Supreme Being of injus-
tice during his sufferings, though, according
to the narrative, almost every affliction which
falls to the lot of mortal man embittered his
life. His goods were taken away by robbers ;
his body was smitten by a loathsome and tor-
menting disease ; his family were all cut off,
and all his company made desolate by a sud-
den stroke from Heaven, his head was bare to
every blast of adversity, and his heart bled
with all the varieties of pain. In the course
of his observations, he utters the genuine
voice of sorrow, and pours forth his soul in

lamentation and woe ; he sets before us the
evil day ; he shews us the dark side of things,
and presents to our view those shades in the
picture of human life which must one day
meet our eye : — At length Klihu attempts to
arbitrate the matter by alleging the impossi-
bility that so frail and ignorant a creature as
man should comprehend the ways of the Al-
mighty ; and therefore condemns the unjust
and cruel inference the three friends had
drawn from the suflPerings of Job. He also
blames Job for the presumption of acquitting
himself of all iniquity^ since the best of men
are not pure in the sight of God — but all have
something to repent of; and he advises him
to make this use of his afflictions. At last^
by a bold figure of poetry, the Supreme Be-
ing himself is introduced, speaking from the
whirlwind, and silencing them all by the most
sublime display of his own power, magnifi-
cence and wisdom, and of the comparative
littleness and ignorance of man. This indeed
is the only conclusion of the argument, which
could be drawn at a time when life and im-
mortality were not yet brought to light. A fu-
ture retribution is the only satisfactory solu-
tion of the difficulty arising from the sufferings
of good people in this life.'^

In the perusal of this short work, it will be
obvious to the reader, that its abridgment
was not designed for the well informed ; but
for the purpose of rendering it more familiar
and impressive on the minds of those in im<
mature age.

CHAP. I.

Begins with part of the History and Calamities of Job.

"Idumean Job long liv'd in regal state,
Nor saw the sumptuous East a prince so great ;
Whose worldly stores in such abundance flow'd.
Whose heart with such exalted virtue glow'd.
At length misfortunes take their turn to reign,
And ills on ills succeed a dreadful train !''

i. There was a man ia the land of Uz,
whose name was Job ; he was perfect and
iipright, one who feared God and avoided evil.

S. And there were born unto him seven
sons, and three daughters.

3. He abounded also in wealth, consisting
in numerous flocks and herds of cattle, and
had a very large household, and was honoured
as the greatest of all the men in the east.

4. And, at certain seasons, his sons, in
their turns, kept a circular feast at their res-^
pective houses, and invited their sisters to
meet with them on those social occasions.

5. And when the days of their feasting
were ended. Job, as his custom was, called
his children to the solemn exercises of reli-
gion, sanctifying them, and offering burntr
offerings.

6. For, he said, it may be my children
have sinned, and provoked the anger of the

. Almighty in the days of their festivity.

7. And on a day, when his children had

J*

6

begun their course of feasting, and were eat-
ing and drinking at their eldest brother^s
house, there came a messenger unto Job; and

8. The oxen were ploughing, and the asses
feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell
upon them, and took them away ; yea, they
have slain the servants with the edge of the
sword, and I only am escaped alone to tell
thee.

9. While he was yet speaking, there came
also another, and said, The lightning from
heaven hath smitten the sheep, and the ser-
vants, and consumed them, and I only have
escaped alone to tell thee.

10. While he w^as yet speaking, there
came also another, and said. The Chaldeans
made out three bands, and fell upon the cam-
els and carried them away, and have likewise
slain thy servants, and I only am escaped
alone to tell thee.

li . While he was yet speaking, there came
also another, and said, Thy sons and thy
daughters were eating and drinking in their
eldest brother's house, and there came a great
wind from the wilderness, and smote the four
corners of the house, and it fell upon them,
and they are dead, and I only am escaped
alone to tell thee.

12, Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and
shaved his head, and fell down upon the
ground and worshipped, and said,

13. Helpless and destitute came I into the
world, poor and feeble must I depart out of

it ; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken
away, blessed be the name of the Lord.

1 4?, After this Job was smitten with sore
boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown ;
and he took a potsherd to scrape himself
withal, and sat down among the ashes.

15. And being tempted to entertain hard
thoughts of Grod, and to express himself in
the language of impiety, he pertinently an-
swered, What ! shall we receive good at the
hand of (rod, and not receive evil ?

16. When Job's three friends heard of all
the evil that was come upon him, they came
from their respective homes, at an appointed
time, to mourn with him and to comfort him.

17* And when they saw him afar off, they
lifted up their voices and wept; and they
rent every man his mantle, and sprinkled dust
on their heads towards heaven.

18. And they sat down with him upon the
ground, several days, lamenting in solemn
silence, his deplorable condition, for they saw
that his grief was very great.

'^ His friends around the deep affliction mourn'd,
felt all his pangs and groan for groan returned ;
Jn anguish of their hearts their mantles rent.
And seven long days in sniemn silence spent ;
A debt of reverence to distress so great !
Thus Job conlain'd no more, laments his fate.'^

s

CHAP. 11.

Joh^s Lamentation.

^' At length the suffering man with grief opprest,

The bitter sorrows of his heart express'd,

And thus devoted to eternal shame.

^His natal day whence all his sorrows came.

I'm but a stranger and a pilgrim here

In these wild regions, wand'ring and forlorn^

Restless and sighing for my native home,

Longing to reach my weary space of life."

1. At length Job gave utterance to the ful-
ness of his grief, in language expressive of
the greatest bitterness of soul, and said,

S. Why died 1 not from my birth? why
did I not perish as soon as I was born ?

3. Why did the knees prevent me ? or why
the breasts that I should suck ? Why was
any care taken to support a life that would
be so miserable ?

4. For now should I have lain still and
been quiet, I should have slept and been at
rest.

5. The sods of the valley had been sweet
unto me, and the grave proved a quiet retreat.

6. There the wicked cease from troubling,
and there the weary be at rest.

7. There the pr'soners rest together, and
hear not the voice of the oppressor ; the small
and great are there, and the servant is free
from his master.

8. But 1 live to experience sorrow, and to
complain of existence itself as a burden.

9. Wherefore is life given to hiin that is
in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul.

10. Who long for death, but it cometh not,
and search for it more than for hidden treas-
ures.

1 1. Who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad
when they can find the grave.

IS. Why is light given to a man, whose
way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in ?
who knows not which way to turn himself,
and finds no comfort but in the grave ?

13. For my sighing cometh before I rise,
and my groanings are poured out like water.

14. For the thing which 1 greatly feared
hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded
hath overtaken me.

15. I have no more ease, my tranquility is
departed, neither have I any rest, but terror
cometh.

16. Bereaved of all my children, deprived
of all my property, and visited with a most
grievous and painful disease ; alas ! there is
nothing to cheer me, there are none to com-
fort-
Thus Job recites his grief, regrets his fate :

" His (lay of birth, its inauspicious light,
He wishes sunk in endless shades of night,
And blotted from the year ; nor fears to crave
Death, instant death, impatient for the grave,
That seat of bliss, that mansion of repose.
Where rest and mortals are no longer foes."

10
CHAP. III.

Eliphaz passes some severe Strictures.

" And now Eliphaz venerably grave,
His eldest friend this reprehension gave."

1. When Job had finished his pathetic
complaint, Eliphaz, (one of his visiting
friends) answered and said,

2. If we assay to commune with thee, wilt
thou be grieved ? but who can withhold him-
self from speaking ?

3. Behold^ thou hast instructed many : thy
words have upholden him that was falling,
and thou hast administered consolation to the
afflicted^ and encouraged even the desponding
to hope.

4. But now the affliction thou didst soothe
in others^ is come upon thee, and thou faint-
est ; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled ;
thou dost not practice thy own lesson.

5. Consider, I pray thee, who ever perish-
ed being innocent ? or where were the right-
eous cut ofi*?

6. Even as I have seen, they who plough
iniquity and sow wickedness, reap the same,
and are consumed by the breath of the Al-
mighty.

7. In the visions of the night, I heard a
voice saying, Shall mortal man be more just
than God ? Shall a man be more pure than
his Maker ?

11

8. Behold^ be putteth no trust in his ser-
vants, and his angels lie chargeth with folly.

9. What then are those that dwell in houses
of clay; whose foundation is in the dust;
who are crushed before the moth ?

10. Great is the Lord, who doeth great
things and unsearchable ; marvellous things
without number.

11. He taketh the wise in their own crafti-
ness, and the counsel of the froward is car-
ried headlong.

12. They meet with darkness in the day
time, and grope in the noon day, as in the night.

13. He saveth the poor from the sword,
and from the hand of the mighty, and causeth
iniquity to stop her mouth.

14. Heboid, happy is the roan whom God
correcteth ; therefore despise not thou the
chastening of the Lord.

15. For he m^keth sore and bindeth up;
he woundeth and his hands maketh whole.

16. He shall deliver thee in six troubles;
yea, in seven there shall no evil happen thee.

17* Thou shait be hid from the scourge of
slander, and shall not be troubled at destruc-
tion and famine.

18. Thy seed shall be great, and thine off-
spring as the grass of the earth, and the bless^
ings of peace shall be upon thy tabernacle.

i9. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full
age, like as a shock of corn cometh in season.

20. Behold we have searched into the
matter, and are fully convinced of the truth
of it; hearken and receive instruction, and
apply it for thy good.

IS
CHAP. IV.

Job^s Reply.

" When will my long protracted troubles cease,

And this tormented sufferer be at peace ?

Each lingering night in agonies I lie,

And often wish, but wish in vain to die.

To me no friendly respites e'er return,

Nor gives the evenings ease, nor joy the morn."

1. Then Job answered and said, O! that
my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my
calamity laid in the balances together,

3. I want words to express my sorrow, for
the arrows of the Almighty are within me !
the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit, and
the terrors of God do set themselves in array
against me.

3. When I lie down, I say when shall 1
arise, and the night be gone? wearisome
nights are appointed unto me, and I am full
of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the
day.

4. When 1 say my bed shall comfort me,
my couch shall ease my complaints, then am
I scared with dreams and terrified with visions.

5. To him who is afflicted, pity should be
shewed from his friend ; buf now you are
nothing ; you see my casting down and are
afraid.

6* How forcible are right words ! but what
doth your arguing reprove ?
7« Teach me and I will hold my tongue ;

13

and cause me to understand wherein I have
erred.

8. Is there iniquity in my tongue ? cannot
my taste discern perverse things ?

9. Is there not an appointed time for man
upon earth? are not his days as the days of
an hireling, who looketh for the end and re-
ward of his work ?

10. My days are swifter than a weaver's
shuttle, and are spent without hope ; mine eye
shall no more see good.

11. The eye of him who hath seen me^ shall
see me no more ; for as the cloud is consumed,
and vanisheth aw^ay, so he that goeth down
to the grave, shall come up no more.

13. He shall return no more to his house,
neither shall his place know him any more.

13. Therefore I will not refrain my miiuth,
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, and
complain in the bitterness of my squI.

14. My soul chooseth death rather than a
life which has become loathsome ; I would
not live alway ; let me alone, for my days are
vanity.

15. What is man,0 Lord, that thou should-
est magnify him? and that thou doth set thine
heart upon him ?

16. That thouvisiteth him every morning,
and tryest him every moment?

17. 1 have sinned ; what shall I sa^ unto
thee, O thou Preserver of men ? Why hast
thou set me as a mark against thee, so thatl
am a burden to myself?

18. Why withdraw not thy displeasure,
and attend to my supplication ? I am broken

S

14

as in a tempestuous sea^ and my wounds are
increased without cause.

1 9. If therefore I seek for strength^ it ia
subdued by my weakness ; if I speak of judg-
ment^ who will allow me to plead ?

20. O that I could have my request, and
that God would grant me the thing I long for !

SI. Even that it would please God to let
loose his hand, and cut me off, that I might
sleep in the dust and be at rest.

" Job^s words wer.e daring,and displeas'd his friends.

His conduct they reprove, and he defends.

And now they kindled into warm debate,

And sentiments oppos'd with equal he^it ;

Fix'd in opinion, both refuse to yield,

And summon all their reason to the field.

So high at length their arguments were wrought.

They reach'd the last extent of human thought.'

CHAP. V.

Bildad remonstrates with Job,

-' Then Bildad his opinion spoke : How long.
How far will rage this tempest of thy tongue ?
Can the great source of justice and of pow'r,
Who darts the lightning, and bestows the show'r,
Pervert his judgment, and his good apply, .
_ And bless and punish by a rule awry ?"

1. Then answered Bildad, {another of
Job's visitors,) and said,

S. How long wilt thou speak these things ?
and how long shall thy words be like a strong
wind ?

15

3. Doth (rod pervert judgment, as thy
words seem to imply ; or doth the Almighty
pervert justice ?

4. Dominion and fear are with him ; he
maketh peace in his high places.

5. Is there any number of his armies ? and
upon whom doth not his light arise ?

6. How then can man be justified with
God ? or how can he be clean, who is born of
a woman?

7. Behold he looketh upon the moon, and
it shineth not ? yea, the stars are not pure
in his sight.

8. How much less is man, that is a worm,
and the son of man, who is the offspring of
such a reptile.

9. We are but of yesterday and know
nothing : because our days upon earth are a
shadow.

10« Wherefore, inquire, I pray thee, of
former ages ; and prepare thyself to search
of the fathers.

11. Shall not they teach thee, and tell
thee, and utter words out of thine heart, for
thy conviction.

IS. Though God should cast away thy
children for their transgression ; yet do thou
seek unto him betimes, and make thy suppli-
cation to the Almighty, instead of com-
plaining.

13. Surely if thou wert pure and upright,
he would awake for thee, and make the habit-
ation of thy righteousness prosperous.

14. Though thy beginning was small ; yet
th y latter end will greatly increase ; though

16

thou art reduced very low, yet thy prosperity
will be greater than ever it was.

Ifr. He will fill thy heart with gladness,
and thy lips with rejoicing, till thou shall be
so remarkably blessed, as not to be able to
contain thy joy.

16. Behold God will not cast away a perfect
man, neither will he leave thee, if thou re-
pent and art upright.

17. They who hated thee, and rejoiced at
thy fall, shall be clothed with shame, and con-
founded at thy growing prosperity.

18. And the dwelling place of the wicked
shall come to nought, so as not to be able to
hurt thee.

19. The hypocrite's hope shall perish, and
his trust shall be as a spider's web, easily
broken, and blown away,

50. He shall lean upon his house, but it
shall not stand ; he shall hold it fast, but it
shall not endure.

51. He may trust to the multitude of his
children and servants, and his great wealth j
but all will disappoint him.

CHAP. VL

Joh^s Vindication.

'^ I know, Job answered, verily I know,
Wrong from eternal justice ne'er can flow."

1. Then Job answered and said, 1 know
for a truth, that no man can be just before
God ; for

17

2. If God should contend with him, sorrow
and disquietude of mind, and the bitterest
reflections would be the issue.

3. He is pure in heart, and great in
strength, the all-wise, Almighty God ; who
ever hardened himself against him and pros-
pered ?

4. He reraoveth the mountains, and they
know it not : He overturneth them in his
anger.

d. He shaketh the earth out of her place,
and the pillars thereof tremble.

6. He commandeth the sun and it riseth
not, and sealeth up the stars.

7. He alone spreadeth out the heavens,
presideth over the constellations, and tread-
eth upon the waves of the sea.

8. He doth great things past finding out^
yea, and wonders without number.

9. Behold, he taketh away, who can hin-
der him ? who will say unto him, what doest
thou?

10. If I justify myself, mine own mouth
will condemn me; if I say 1 am perfect, it
will prove me perverse.

H. Though I am conscious of integrity,
yet 1 blush before God, and adore his provi-
dence, who hath so deeply plunged me in
woe, that I am weary of life.

IS. From hence I argue, that the righteous
are not exempt from sorrow and calamity, in
this world, but the scourge of heaven falleth
upon the perfect and the wicked.

13. If I say I will forget my complaint, I
will leave off my heaviness, and comfort my-

18

self; I am afraid, O my God; for I know
that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

14. If I wash my hands in snow water,
and make myself ever so white and clean, yet
I cannot clear myself from all imputations, or
fully prove my innocence.

±5. Yet thou wilt plunge me in the mire,
and my own garments will make me to be ab-
horred by myself and friends.

16, For thou art not a man, as I am, that 1
should answer thee ; and that we should come
together in judgment.

17- O take thy rod away from me, and let
not thy fear terrify me.

18. Then would I plead my cause, with
humble confidence ; but such is my present
distress, that I am all confusion, I have no
composure or fortitude of mind.

CHAP. VIL

Appeal of Job to God.

^' I pray thee let me grieve, O grant me tliis
To use at least, the right of lamentation.
O that ray wailings could but ease my woe,
Or that my voice could hasten death along,
To give my miseries their only cure !"

1. Nevertheless, I must give scope to
my complaint, and speak in the bitterness of
my soul, for I am weary of life.

8. 1 will say unto Grod; do not condemn

19

me ; shew me wherefore thou contendest with
me, what are my crimes for which 1 siiflfer
more than others.

3. Can it be pleasure to thee, to chastise
the innocent, to despise the work of thine
hand; and shine upon the counsel of the
wicked ?

4. Are thy days as the days of a man ? or
seest thou as man seeth ?

5. If thou searchest after my sin, thy
knowledge will clear me of wilful transgres-
sion ; but none can deliver out of thine hand.

6. Thine hands have made and fashioned
me together round about, thou knowest me
perfectly, yet thou dost destroy me, art cut-
ting me off by afflictions.

7. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou
hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou
bring me into dust again ?

8. Thou hast granted me life and favour,
and thy visitations have preserved my spirit,
and thy good providence and care have still
supported and sustained me.

9. If I sin, thou markest me ; and thou wilt
not acquit me from mine iniquity.

10. If I be wicked, woe unto me ; and if
1 be righteous, yet I cannot lift up my head ;
I am full of confusion.

11. Therefore see thou my affliction, for it
increaseth ; changes and war are against me.

13. Wherefore hast thou brought me forth
out of the womb ? Oh that I had given up
the ghost, and no eye had seen me !

13. I should have been, as though I had
not been ; I should have been carried from

the womb to the grave^ and escaped these^
calamities.

14i. Are not my days few ? cease then, and
let me alone, that I may take comfort, and
have a little respite,

id. Before i go whence I shall not return,
even to the laud of darkness, and the shadow
of death.

What sullen star rul'd my untimely birth ?

That would not lend my days one hour of mirth.

How oft have these bare knees been bent to gain

The slender alms of one poor smile in vain !

How often, tir'd with the fastidious light,

Have my faint lips implor'd,the shades of night?

How often have my nightly torments pray'd

For lingering twilight, glutted with the shade !

Why was I born ? Why was I bom a man ?

Or why proportion'd by so large a span ?

Or why suspended from the common lot,

And being born to die, why die I not ?

The branded slave who tugs the weary oar,

Obtains the Sabbath of a welcome shore ;

His ransom'd stripes are heaPd ; his native soil

Sweetens the mem'ry of his foreign toil ;

May it please kind heav'n once to dissolve

These fleshly fetters, that so fast involve

My hamper'd life ; then should my soul be bless'd

From all these ills, and wrap her thoughts in rest.

CHAP. VIII.

Job reproved.

" Be humble Job, presume not God to scan,
Nor doubt his justice to his creature man.

^1

Who did the soul with her rich pow'rs invest,
And light up reason in the human breast,
To shine with fresh increase of lustre bright,
When stars and suns are set in endless night ;
Who taught the nations of the field and wood ?
To shun their poison, and to choose their food '
Prescient the tides, or tempest to withstand,
Build on the wave, or arch beneath the sand ? —
— God in the nature of each being sounds
Its proper bliss, and sets its proper bounds."

1. Canst thou by searching find out God?
canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfec
tion ?

2. It is high as heaven, what canst thou
do ? deeper than hell, what canst thou know ?

3. The measure thereof is longer than the
earth, broader than the sea.

4. He discovereth deep things out of dark-
ness, and bringeth to light hidden things from
the shadow of death.

5. By the decrees of the Almighty the na-
tions of the earth are increased ; in his hands
is the soul of wery living thing, and the
breath of all mankind.

6. Behold, he breaketh down, and it can-
not be built up again ; he shutteth up, and
there can be no opening.

7. Behold, he withholdeth the rivers, and
they dry up ; also he sendeth them out, and
they overflow the earth.

8. Hearken unto these things, O Job, con-
sider the wondrous works of God.

9. Marvellously doth he speak with his
voice ; great things doth He, which man can-
not comprehend, y

23

10. Wilt thou therefore coiiteiul with the
Almighty, realizing his power ? shall he that
darkeneth counsel without knowledge, op-
pose his Maker? or dare he reprove the Most
High ?

U. Where wast thou when the foundations
of the earth were fixed ? and the measure
thereof assigned ?

12. Knowest thou whereon the line was
stretched, or the corner-stone was laid ? on
what centre doth it rest? and how are its
parts united ?

i3. When the morning stars sang togeth-
er, and the sons of God shouted for joy.

1 i. Knowest thou who maketh a way for
the overflowing of the waters ? which satis-
fieth the desolate and waste ground, and
causeth the bud of the tender herb to shoot
forth.

15. Or who restraineth the raging of the
sea, when the billows thereof brake forth, as
though issued from the womb ?

16. And commanded tham, that hitherto
they should come, and no further : and here
shall their proud waves be stayed ?

17. Hath the rain a father ? or who begat
the drops of the dew ? from what source
came the ice ? who scattereth the hoar frost,
and prepareth the treasures of the snow and
hail?

18. Who bestoweth knowledge in the in-
ward parts, and giveth understanding to the
heart ?

19. Who in the various seasons instructs
the winged creation in their regular courses ?

23

20. Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and
stretch her wiugs towards the south ? Doth
the eagle mount up at thy command, and
make her nest on high ?

SI. Or who provideth for the raven his
food ? when his young ones cry unto trod, the
universal parent?

22. By whose orders is the whirlwind di-
rected from the west, and cold from the
north ? who balanceth the clouds whereby
the earth is softened by the south wind ?

^3. Knowest thou the ordinances of heav-
en ? or by what means the day spring was
caused to know its place?

24. Have the gates of the grave been open
to thee ? or hast thou explored the mansions
of the dead ?

25. Cease then thy complaints, and be as-
sured the decrees of the Almighty will be
established.

26. Upon the earth there is none like him ;
lie bBholdeth all things, and from him no
thought can be hid, nor the most secret action
concealed from his view :

27. He is wise in counsel and mighty in
work, and all his ways are right.

" Why give thy tongue a loose so bold and vain.
Censure my conduct and reproves my reign ?
Lift up thy thoughts against me from the dust,
And tell the world's Creator what is just ?
Where didst thou dwell at nature's early birth ?
Who laid th' foundations for the spacious earth ?
Who fix'd the corner stone ? What hand declare,
Hung it on nought^ and fasten'd it in air :

S4

When the bright morning stars in concert sung,
When heav'n's high arch with loud hosanna's rung,
When shouting sons of God, the triumph crown'd,
And the wide concave thunder'd with the sound ?
Earth's numerous kingdoms, hast thou vie wM them all *?
And can thy span of knowledge grasp the ball ?
What worlds hast thou produced, what creatures

fram-d,
What insects cherish'd, that thy God is blam'd[?
Am I a debtor ? hast thou ever heard
Whence come those gifts that are by me conferred ?
My lavish fruit a thousand vallies fills,
And mine the herds, that graze a thousand hills ;
Earth, sea, and air, all nature is my own.
And stars, and sun, are dust beneath my throne :
Fond man ! the vision of a moment made !
Dream of a dream ! and shadow of a shade !
Thou know'st me not ; thy blindness cannot see
How vast a distance parts thy God and thee."

CHAP. IX.

Job^s address to his friends.

'' O why should tortur'd Job his sighs refrain !
Or suffering thus, why should he not complain ?
Allow him prostrate then to ask his God,
Why thus he breaks an animated clod ?"

1. Hear again attentively my speech and
declaration with your ears. Lo ! mine eyes
have seen all this, and mine ears have heard
and understood it; what ye know, the same
also I know^ I am not regardless of it.

^o

S. Oh that ye would altogether hold your
peace, and therein would be your w isdom ;
my friends accuse me wrongfully, and reason
deceitfully : my sincerity they reproach^ and
my complaints they cast off.

3. Behold^ I will now submit my cause, 1
know I shall be justified ; the Lord will
be my salvation, my only hope and deliver-
er, therefore though he afflicts me, yet will I
trust in him.

4. For all things are with him, and what-
soever he ordaineth will surely come to
pass.

5. For what is the life of man, but of few
days and full of trouble ? he cometh forth as
a flower, and is cut down ; he fleeth also as a
shadow and continueth not.

6. Seeing his days are determined, and
the number of months in which his bounds
are fixed.

7. Tlmugh the root of a tree wax old ia
the earth, and the stock thereof die in the
ground, yet there is hope if it be cut down
that it will again sprout, and the tended* branch
thereof will not fail.

8. And dost thou open thine eyes upon
such an one to bring me into judgment with
thee ? for who can bring a clean thing out of
an unclean ?

9. O my God, turn from me, that I may-
rest till thy purpose be accomplished.

10. Withhold thy rebukes, and shew me
all my error, that I may reclaim my wander-
ings, and yet walk before thee in the land of
the living.

3

26

11. For if a man once transgress, shall
he not live to repent ; but if a man die he
shall live again? All the days of my ap-
pointed tinie^ I will wait till my great change
come.

12. Suffer me further to speak, and hear
me diligently, and after thus speaking, re-
prove me. As for me, is my complaint to
man ; if it were so, 1 should not then be
troubled.

13. I know that the hypocrite is as stubble
before the wind, and as chaff that the storm
carrieth away ? how oft is the candle of the
wicked put out, and how oft cometh their de-
struction, for God distributeth sorrow in his
anger.

1-4. We provoke God by departing from
' him, and how rash is it to say to the Almighty,
Depart from us, we, desire not the knowledge
of thy ways ; or who is the Almighty, that we
should serve him, or what profit if we pray
unto him ?

15. Do ye presume, that any can teach
God knowledge, seeing he judgeth thosd who
are high ; can any declare to him his deal-
ings ; may any one say unto him, what doest
thou ?

16. Know ye not, that one dieth in full
strength, being in perfect ease and quiet,whea
his breasts are full of milk, and his bones ai^e
moistened with marrow ;

17- And another dieth in the bitterness of
his soul, and never eateth with pleasure?
They shall lie down alike in the dust, and
the worms shall cover them.

27

18. Whea I consider these things I am
afraid ; fearfulness taketh hold on me; but 1
am assured the fear of the Lord is wisdom,
and to depart from evil, that is understanding.

CHAP. X.

Eliphaz*s reproof to job.

-' Eliphaz again engag'd in the dispute,
And strove the sufferer's reason to confute.
What can ye add, for all your words are faint,
The Almighty's works no eloquence can paint,
No more can be in mortal sounds exprest,
But vast eternity shall tell the rest."

!• Eliphaz again sharply reproached Job,
and said, Should a wise man utter vain
knowledge ? Should he reason with unproflt-
able talk, or with speeches wherewith he
can do no good ?

S. Should he make void the fear of Grod,
and restrain prayer before him ? Are the
consolations of God small with thee ? Is
there any secret thing with thee?

3. Art thou tlie first man who was born ?
or wast thou made before the hills ? Dost
thou know the council of God, and claim his
knowledge to thyself? Are his councils
only known to thee ?

4. What knowest thou, that we know not ?
Or what understandeth thou, that we are ig-
norant of? With us alike are the grey-
headed and very aged.

2S

5. Wliy dost thine he«ivL carry thee away?
And wliy tnriiest thou thy spirit against God,
andlettest out words from thy mouth ? And
why are thy repinings against the ways of
the Almi2;htv ?

6. For thy mouth nttereth thine iniquity,
and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty,
covering tljy principles and apinions with
vain pretences of piety and respect for Grod.

7. For what is man, tiiat he should be
clean? or he who is horn of a woman, that
he should be righteous, as in a, little time all
his thoughts will perish ?

8. Behold God putteth no trust even in his
saints, and the heavens are not clean in his
sight ; how much more abominable and vain
is man, who drinketh iniquity like water.

9. The wicked man travelleth with pain ;
trouble and anguish make him afraid all his
days, and the number of his years are per-
plexed : a continual sound is in his ears, for
destruction surely awaits him.

10. For he strengtheneth himself against
the Almighty ; he stretcheth out his hand
against God ; let him not then be deceived,
that trusteth in vanity, as that shall be the
recompense of all those who depart from the
living God.

li. Disquietude of mind, therefore, awaits
the profligate ; yea, the light of the impious
shall be put out ; no joy shall shine in their
tabernacles ; tL- ir roots shall be dried up,
and their branches cut off.

1^. Those that beheld this, were astonisli-
ed, as they w ho went before were afraid,

S9

saying, Such are the dwellings of the unright-
eous^ and such are the places^ that know not
God.

13. But God will not east away a perfect
man^ neither will he help the evil doers.

CHAP. XL

*• The mourner answer'd, in lamenting strain ,
Still is it stiff rebellion to complain ?
Alas 1 the mountain's weight of woes I feel,
Nor groans can equal, nor complaint reveal."

i. Then Job answered and said^ I have
heard many such things ; miserable comfort-
ers are ye all ; these reflections are of little
use, and do but increase, instead of lessening
my pains,

2. Shall vain words ever have an end ?
But what emboldeneth ye to answer ? or for
what cause do ye thus oppress me?

3. But now ye make me weary, and tire
me out with idle repetitions, smiting me re-
proachfully and treating me with scorn.

4. Wherefore do ye write bitter things
against me, striving to make me suflfer for the
errors of my past life.

5. Why chase a withered leaf, that^s driven
to and fro? And why pursue the dry stubble ?

6. Why hold ye my feet in the stocks, and
observe ye so narrowly my paths, and count
me for your enemy ?

3*

30

7. Should I speak as ye do, and thus mul-
tiply words, and censure your conduct, ye
would become a by- word, and a scorn among
the people.

8. O that your soul was in my souPs stead,
and ye knew how to feel for my sorrows.

1). Alas! my enemies have gathered them-
selves against me ; they afflict me on every
side ; they have stript me of my glory, and
have taken the crown from my head, and laid
snares for my destruction.

10. By your example, ray brethren go far
from me, and my acquaintance are verily es-
tranged from me.

11. Kven those who dwell in my house,
count me a stranger. If I call my servants,
no answer is given ; 1 am even thought an
alien in their sight.

12. My situation is dreary and desolate
indeed ; those who in my prosperity were
friends, now forsake me ; those w horn I lov-
ed, are turned against me ; I am deserted and
alike distressed.

13. Have pity on me, have pity on me, O
ye my friends, for the hand of God hath
touched me, not to scourge, but to try me ;
not to chastise, but to improve me.

14. O that my words were now written !
O that they were recorded in a book ; that
they were engraven with an iron pea in the
rock forever; that others maybe instructed
by my speech, and instructed by my example.

15. Though 1 speak, my grief is not as-
suaged ; and though 1 forbear, wherein do I
find comfort ?

31

16. I was at rest, but am now rent asun-
der ; mine eyes are dim by reason of sorrow,
and all my thoughts are as a shadow.

17. 1 have, put on sackcloth, and prostrat-
ed myself in the dust ; my face is foul with
weeping, and on my eye-lids is the shadow
of death.

18. Alas ! I am disconsolate, am broken ;
breach upon breach, my days are posting ;
the grave is ready for me.

19. I have said to corruption. Thou art my
father ; to the worms, ye are my brethren ;
and where is my hope, and who shall behold
it, for my purposes are broken oflF, even the
thoughts of my heart.

20. And though my friends forsake me,
my witness is in heaven, and my record on
high, my pleading is with God, as a mortal
pleadeth for his friend.

21. But a great cause of my grief arises
from a consciousness of having sinned against
so much goodness, and provoked such tender
mercy.

8S. Mine iniquities deserve his righteous
displeasure, but his goodness reacheth from
heaven to earth.

£3. May the remorse which,I now feel, be
the only punishment of my sin, from him who
hath kept mine eyes from tears, and my feet
from falling.

24. JBut this I am assured, that my 4le-
deemer liveth, and that he will stand at the
latter day on earth, and though my reins be
consumed within me, I shall not fear ;

25. Though worms destroy this body, y6t

32

in my flesh I shall see God^ whom I shall see
for myself, and mine eyes shall behold him,
who will surely vindicate my cause, and re-
store to me comfort,

'^ There holy souls perpetual Sabbaths keep,
And never are concerned for food or sleep.
Theresaintsarrive, with wreaths of light arecrown'd.
While tuned harps with louder trumpets sound.
There joyful Seraphs sacred hymns begin,
And raptur'd Cherubs hallelujahs sing.
Whence are my hopes, my pleasures, and my love ?
My thoughts, and noblest passions are above."

CHAP. XII.

Zophar's Observations.

•' Zophar then boldly his presumption check'd,
And bade him God and his decrees respect."

1. My thoughts cause me to answer, and
for this I make haste. I have heen reproach-
ed, but the spirit of my understanding causeth
a reply.

2. Knowest thou not of old, since mortals
were placed on earth, that the triumphing of
the wicked man is short, and his joy but for
a moment ?

3. Though his name be universally re-
nowned, though his power be under no con-
trol, and his commands every where obeyed ;

4. Yet if he hath oppressed and forsaken
the poor, and hath violently taken away the

33

scanty substance of the necdy^ without jus-
tice and without restitution^

5. The heavens will reveal his iniquity^
and t]^ earth will rise up against him.

6. In the fulness of his abundance, he
shall be in straits^ and that which he labour-
ed for shall be forfeited ; the increase of his
house shall depart^ and his goods be scattered
abroad.

7. When he is about to gratify his appe-
tite, God will send his anger against him ;
surely he shall not feel quietness, but shall
be deprived of those good things he so much
desired.

8. Yea, he shall perish forever, and his re-
membrance shall flee away as a dream, and
shall not be found ; it shall be chased away
as a vision in the night.

9. The eye which saw him shall see him
no more, neither shall his place any more
behold him.

10. And will God withhold reproving you
through fear? Will he not enter into judg-
ment with you ? Is not your wickedness
great, and your iniquities infinite ?

11. Therefore temptations beset you, and
sudden fear troubleth you.

12. For can a man be profitable to God,
as he that is wise may be profitable to him-
self?

13. Is it interesting to the Almighty that
thou art righteous, or gain to him that thou
makest thy ways perfect?

14. Verily your thoughts are not hid from
him, and be it known to you, that there is no

34^

darkness or secret place, where the workers
of iniquity can secure themselves.

15. For he will bring every work into
judgment, with every secret thing, wlietlier it
be good, or whether it be evil.

16. Do not, therefore, attempt to hide ini-
quity in thy heart, but acquaint thyself with
(rod, and be at peace with him, and thereby
good shall come unto tiiee.

17. Presume not to search into the hidden
decrees of the Almighty.

He has thus loudly spoke,

" Can thine arm measure with an arm divine,
And canst thou thunder with a voice like mine,
Or in the hollow of thy hand contain
The bulk of waters, the wide spreading main,
When mad with tempest, all the billows rise
In all their rage, and dash against the skies ?
Where dwells the light^ in what refulgent dome ?
And where has darkness made her dismal home ?
What powerful breath from northern regions blown.
Touches the sea, and turns it into stone ;
Who launched the clouds in air, and bid them roll.
Suspended seas aloft from pole to pole?
Who can refresh the burning sandy plain.
And quench the summer with a wash of rain ?
W^ho in rough deserts far from human toil.
Make rocks bring forth, and desolation smile ?
There blooms the rose, where human face ne'er

shone.
And spread its beauties to the sun alone.
Dost thou pronounce where daylight shall be born.
And draw the purple curtain of the morn ?
Awake the sun, and bid him come away,
And glad the world with his obsequious ray ?
Hast thou enthroned in flaming glory driven
Triumphant round the spacious ring of heav'n ?

35

That pomp of light what hand so far displays,
That distant earth lies basking in the blaze ?
To check the show'r who lifts his hand on high,
And shuts the sluices of the exhausted sky :
When earth no longer mourns her gaping veins,
Her naked mountains, and her russet plains ;
But, new in life, a cheerful prospect yields
Of shining rivers, and of verdant fields ;
When groves and forests lavish all their bloom,
And earth and heaven, are filPd with rich perfume.

CHAP. XIII.

•' Yet Job proceeds his sorrows to declare,
And pours his spirit in the zeal of pray'r,
Why do I seek thee, if thou art not here ?
Or find thee not, if thou art every where ?
For thee I pine, and am for thee undone ;
As drooping flowers that want their parent sun."

1. Why still upbraid me for past errors
that are blotted out of the book of God ? even
your reproaches to-day are bitter to me, your
censures are heavier than my groaning.

2. Why so powerfully plead against me ?
Why withhold compassion in these trying
afflictions ?

3. 1 have suffered enough already, and ye
need not make my case more desperate by
your repeated reflections.

4. Oh that I knew where I might find God I
heboid 1 go forward, but he is not there;
and backward but I cannot perceive him. On
the left hand where he doth work; but 1 can^
not behold him.

36

5. I would order my cause before him/and
fill my mouth with arguments, were 1 permit-
ted to approach the throne of grace, and make
known my complaint.

6. With full confidence I would therefore
rejoice at his presence, as he will perform
that which is appointed for me.

7. Grod knoweth the way I have taken ;
my feet have held his steps ; his laws I have
kept, and not declined from his statutes.

8. I have esteemed the words of his mouth
more than my necessary food, and when he
hath tried me, 1 shall come forth as gold.

9. I am not however one of those who think
their deeds are hidden from the Almighty.

10. Ye say truly, that he seeth all things ;
and yet the eye of the adulterer waiteth for
the twilight, saying, no eye shall see me.

1 1 . The murderer riseth with the darkness
to destroy the helpless. The morning to him
is as hateful as the shadow of death, for sus-
picion and terrors of mind ever await him.

13. The extortioner driveth away the ass
of the fatherless, and taketh the widow's ox
as a forfeit! The unjust remove the ancient
landmarks, they violently take away the
.flocks and feed, and even pluck the orphan
from the breast as a pledge.

13. They cause the distressed to go naked
and destitute, by taking their vintage from
the presses, which yielded them comfort and
support for their families.

14. Alas ! the inhabitants groan from the
city, and the souls of ihe wounded cry out.
The oppressors are those who rebel against

3r

the light, departing from the paths of virtue^
and the way that leads to it.

15. For a little time they are exalted, but
soon brought low and gone, and their remem-
brance perisheth from the earth.

16. This is the portion of the unjust man ;
terrors will take hold of him as waters, and
tempests carry him away in the night, and
storms hurl him from his dwelling.

17» If his children are multiplied, they are
for war; and his offspring shall not be sat-
isfied, and those who adopt his principles
shall not be buried.

18. Though he may heap up riches as the
dust, and prepare raiment in abundance ; he
may prepare it, but the just shall put it on,
and the innocent shall divide his substance.

19. This is the end and portion of all op-
pressors, which Grod will inflict unless there
be repentance.

20. Why do they ^hen boast themselves in
mischief? for what is the hope of a hypocrite
when trod takes away his soul ?

31. Will God hear iiis cry, when trouble
Cometh upon him ; can he delight himself in
him, whose justice and mercy he hath alike
despised ?

22. But God forbid that I should condemn
any, while I live ; my lips shall not utter
slander, nor my tongue use deceit.

23. While my breath is in me, and the
spirit of God is with me, my own righteous-
ness will 1 hold fast; neither shall my heart
reproach me so long as 1 live, -

4

38

CHAP. XIV.

-' Still Job complain'd in anguish of his smart,
Still pleading the uprightness of his heart/'

1. Moreover Job continued his parable
and said, Oh ! that I were as in months past,
in the days when God preserved me ; when
his candle shined upon my head, and when
by his light, I walked through darkness.

3. As it was with me in the days of ray
youth, w hen the secret of God was upon my
tabernacle ; when the Almighty favoured me,
and my children and friends were about me.

3. When I w^ashed my steps with milk,
and the rock poured me out rivers of oil ;
when I put on righteousness and it clothed
me ; and my judgment was as a robe and a
diadem.

4. When my root was nourished by the
rivers, and the dew lay all night upon my
branch, when my glory was fresh in me, and
my bow was renewed in my hand.

5. When I sat as chief, chose out their
' way, and dwelt as a king in the army ; when

I passed through the city, a seat was prepar-
ed for me, the young men stood up, and the
aged also rose to show me reverence.

6. The princes refrained talking, and laid
their hands to their mouths^ the nobles held

39

their peace ; for me they waited, and kept
silence at my counsel.

7. When the ear heard me, it blessed me ;
when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me.

8, Because 1 delivered the distressed that
cried, and the fatherless, and those who had
none to rescue them from their enemies.

y. The blessing of them who were ready
to perish came upon me ; and I caused the
widow^s heart to sing for joy.

10. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I
to the lame ; I directed the ignorant and per-
plexed, and helped the weak and feeble.

1 1 . I was a father and a friend to the af-
flicted, and the cause that I knew not I search-
ed out, and was as one who comforteth the
mourners.

13. But alas, the remembrance of these
things are forgotten by those whom I instruct-
ed, and followed by the ingratitude of those
whom I relieved.

13. Those of my former acquaintance are
now turned against me, and have me in de-
rision ; they would cast me in the mire as dust
and ashes.

1-1. Even those who fled to the wilderness
for want and famine, who wxre solitary and
had none to help them, who were so distress-
ed as to have need of plucking mallows from
the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.

15. Those who were driven forth from
among men as vagrants, to dwell in the cliffs
of the vallies, and caves of the earth, make
me now their sport. Yea, I am their by-
word.

40

16. They mar my path, they set forth my
calamity, they overwhelm me as a wide
breaking of waters.

17. They allege against me crimes of their
own inventing, they pursue my soul as the
wind, and my life passeth off as a cloud.

18. Did I not weep for those who were in
trouble ; was not my soul grieved for the af-
flicted, and my hand stretched forth to their
relief ?

19* I had therefore reason to expect com-
fort and support, but behold, trouble is come
upon me ; 1 waited for light, but darkness
overshadoweth me, my enemies are relentless
to persecute me.

20. Alas ! my soul is poured out upon me,
the days of affliction have again taken hold
on me, my spirits are troubled in the night
season, and my sinews take no rest.

21. I am as one dreary without the sun, a
brother and a companion with the wretched
and forlorn, terrors are increased upon me^
and 1 have no helper.

22. By the great force of my disease, my
countenance is changed, my skin is parched ;
and my bones are consuming.

SS. Behold, I cry out of violence, but I am
not heard, I cry aloud, but there is no judg-
ment.

24. O earth, cover not thou my blood, until
my distresses have an end. For

25. My harp is tuned to mourning, and my
organ into the voice of them who weep.

41

'- When in God's presence shall I find delight?
Ye hours and days, cut short your tedious flight ;
Ye months and years (if such allotted be
In this distressed barren world for me)
With hasty revolution roll along,
I languish with impatience to be gone."

GHAP. XV.

Job further vindicates himself.

•^ Job's thoughts and complaints on his sorrows still ran ,.
And though wisely he argu'd, he felt as a man,"

1. I HAVE made a covenant with the Al-
mighty, whom then should I fear ? God from
above is my portion^ and mine inheritance is
on high.

2. He seeth my ways and counteth all my
steps, he knows that I have not walked with
vanity, nor my feet hastened to deceit, if I am
weighed in the balance of justice^ I shall not
be found wanting.

3. My course hath not turned aside, nor
my heart revolted to vanity, but mine eyes
have been waiting for his salvation, and if any
blot hath cleaved to my mind^ it shall all be
done away.

4. I know that He who formed me in the
womb; can exalt me by his power ; 1 know if

4^

42

1 trust to vanity I shall be deceived^ but I
have confidence in his rescue.

5. But I know, my friends, your opinion,
and the devices which you wrongfully have
imagined for my past conduct.

6. Did 1 ever despise or neglect the cause
of my servants in refusing counsel when re-
quired, or by any means endeavour to with-
hold from them their just demands ?

7« Did not he who made me make them ?
and did not one fashion us alike ?

8. What then shall I do when God riseth
up ? and when he visiteth, what shall I an-
swer ?

1). If I had suffered the stranger to lie in
the street, denied him entrance at my door,
and my habitation was not open for his
reception ;

10. Let me sow and another reap, and my
oflFspring be rooted from the earth.

11. If I had withheld the indigent and
needy from their desire, or have caused the
eye of the widow to fail ;

13. If 1 have eaten my bread alone, while
the fatherless were destitute, or have seen any
perish for lack of raiment ;

13. It would have been an heinous crime,
an iniquity to be punished.

14. If I have made gold my hope ; said to
the fine gold ; Thou art my confidence ; if I
rejoiced because my substance was great, or
believed that my hand alone had procured it ;

15. Surely my mind would have reproach-
ed me, my conscience would have upbraided
my conduct, this folly would have been my

43

disgrace, and I should have denied the God
who is above.

16. If I had ever rejoiced at the destruc-
tion of those who hatecl me^ and exerted my
influence against them, or withheld my hand
for their relief when in trouble ;

17. Then let mine arm fall from its shoul-
der blade^ and strength fail my limbs.

48. if I adored the sun when it shined, or
worshipped the moon walking in brightness,
and secretly covered my transgression, and
conceived iniquity in my bosom,

19. The just anger of heaven would over-
take me.

20, If my land should cry out against me,
by reason of my eovetousness. If I have
used the produce thereof without liberality to
others, and withheld the fleece of my sheep
for the comfort of their families ;

SI. Let thistles grow instead ©f wheat, and
noisome weeds instead of barley, and my es-
tate yield me no increase.

CHAP. XVI.

The Introduction of Elihu.

" At length Elihu eas'd his burthen'd breast,
Whose answers humble diflidence long supprest,
A fourth, whose reprimand was kindly meant ;
(From Nahor's ancient line was his descent.)
Young, yet mature ; indignant, yet serene :
He interpos'd his argument, rightly keen :

41

Job equally he censures and his friends,
From each reproof his Maker he defends."

i. Job's three visitors ceased to answer,
because they thought him righteous ia his owa
eyes.

2. Then was kindled the anger of Elihu,
for he conceived that Job justified liimself
rather than God.

3. And Elihu spake to them and said, I
am young and ye are old, and being afraid I
dare not declare my opinion.

4. Knowing that days should speak, and
multitude of years should teach wisdom.

5. There is a spirit in man : and the inspi-
ration of the Almighty giveth him wisdom.

6. (xreat men are not always the wisest,
neither do the aged always understand judg-
ment.

7. BehoUh, I have waited for your words,
and gave ear to your reasons, while you
searched out what to say.

8. Yea, I have attended unto you ; and be-
hold, there was none of you that convinced
Job, or that answered his words.

9. Therefore hearken unto me, I also will
deliver you my opinion in the matter, for my
spirit within conslraineth me to speak.

10. Behold, my thoughts are as new w^ine,
which hath no Y^nt, I will speak that 1 may
be refreshed.

11., Far be it from me to accept any man's
person, or give flattering titles to any, for m
so doing 1 shall oflFend my Maker.

IS. The three visitors hearing Elihu; they

49

were troubled, they were amazed^ they sat
still, and answered no more.

13. Wherefore Elihu farther spake, Hear
my words, O ye wise men, and give ear unto
me, ye that have knowledge, for the ear trieth
words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

l^* Behold, God exalteth by his power,
and casteth down ; who teacheth like him ?
Who hath enjoined him in his way, or who
dare say, Thou hast wrought iniquity.

15. Shall not he that ordaineth justice,
aright govern ? and wilt thou judge him that
is most pure ? will the Almighty pervert judg-
ment, or lay on man more than is right ?

16. For the actions of men shall be ren-
dered unto him, and every one judged accord-
ing to his doings, for God is no respecter of
persons.

17. Is it fit to say to a king. Thou art un-
just ? Or to princes, ye are unrighteous ? Is it
not indecent to charge earthly princes and
judges, with tyranny and injustice ?

18. How much less to him who accepteth
not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the
rich more than the poor? For they all are the
works of his hands.

19. When he giveth quietness, who then
can make trouble ? When he withdraweth his
support, who then can be upheld ? Whether
against a nation, or a mortal only.

20. Surely it is meet to say unto God, 1
have deserved chastisement, but I will not
again offend.

2i. But to acknowledge with submission,

46

That which I know not teach thou me : If I
have done iniquity, I will do no more.

^Z2. Perchance Job hath spoken unadvised-
ly and his observations may often have been
very inconsiderate.

23. He may have added rebellion unto bis
sin, and have triumphed in his transgression,
and multiplied words against Grod.

24. Yet let us not judge him v^^ithout can-
dor, nor withhold our compassion, while we
strive to rectify his opinions.

CHAP. XVII.

" Indulge me still : much argument remains,
On God's behalf, and lofty are the strains.
Submit thy fate to Heaven's indulgent care,
Though all seem lost, 'tis impious to despair :
The tracks of Providence like rivers wind,
Here run before us, there retreat behind ;
And though immers'd in earth from human eyes,
Again break forth and more conspicuous rise."

1. FuRTHERMORF spakc Elihu unto Job^
behold, now I have opened my mouth, my
words shall be of the uprightness of my
heart, and my lips shall tionvey knowledge,

a. If thou canst answer me, set thy words
in order before me, for 1 am according to thy
desire in God's behalf.

3. My counsel cannot make thee afraid^
nor shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

47

4i. Therefore answer me^ if thou hast any-
thing to say, as I have a desire to justify
thee ; if not, be silent, and 1 will teach thee
wisdom.

5. Shouldest thou say, I ara clean and
without transi2;ressioh ; 1 am innocent, neither
is there iniquity in me :

6. Behold, in this thou art not just, and
God, who seeth nut as man, discovereth tliy
failin2;s.

7. Why dost thou strive against thy Mak-
er ? he giveth no account to the children of
men of his doings.

8. For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet
man perceives it not.

it. Lo, all his dispensations are to rescue
man from destruction, and to enlighten him in
the ways of truth and uprightness.

10 Thou in thy trouble observest, ^^What
advantage will it be unto me ? and what
profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my
sin ?''

!!• I will answer thee ; look up to the
heavens, and behold the order in the firma-
ment ; the balancing of the clouds are the
wondrous works of him who is perfect in
knowledge. ^

13. If therefore thou sinnest, what dost
thou against him ? or allowest thysell}^
transgressing, dost thou prevail against God ?

1 3. If thou art righteous, what does it avail
thy Maker ? or what can he obtain at thine
hand ?

li. Thy wickedness may injure a man,
and thy oppression may cause him trouble^^

48

and make the feeble cry out by reason of the
arm of the mighty.

id. Surely God will not hear, nor will he
regard vanity ; judgment is always before
him, therefore trust in hijn.

16. Considering that God is our Maker,
who teacheth us more than the beasts of the
field, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of
heaven*

17. Behold, he is mighty in strength and
wisdom. He is the fountain of benevolence,
refuseth none who with sincerity approach
him, but preserveth all, and giveth right to
the afflicted.

18. He withdraweth not his eyes from the
righteous : yea, he established them forever,
and they are exalted. Should they fall into
sin and temptation, and are thereby held in
the cords of affliction,

19. He then sheweth them their errors, ex-
erciseth over them his fatherly correction,
and commandeth them to return to the path
of duty.

20. If then they obey and serve him, they
will spend their days in peace and tranquil-
ity ; if they do not obey him, they will per-
ish in their sins and die without knowledge.

wSl. But the profligates in heart heap up
msquietude : they cry in vain and there is
none to deliver them, their life is with the
unclean, and their death untimely.

4^9
CHAP. XVIIl.

Ends Elihu^s Observations.

'* Learn, Job, that misery ever follows sin,
From human errors human ills begin.
Th' Almighty mind is all perfection great,
Above low envy and capricious hate,
When erring mortals in his bonds he holds.
Their ear he touches, and their sins unfolds ;
Humbles their pride, their self-deception breaks,
And slumb'ring conscience to its charge awakes*
If to his high commands their ear they bow,
And faithful keep the penitential vow :
Sweet days ensue, bright is their ev'ning scene.
And death comes late, and with a look serene.^'

1. Elihu spake moreover to Job, and said,
S. Suffer me again to speak in God's stead,
I will bring my knowledge from afar, and
will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

3. For truly my words shall not be false^
neither will I make use of abstruse arguments.

4. Touching the Almighty we cannat
search him out: he is great in power and
wise in judgment, and will not afflict but in
justice.

5. Every man may see it ; behold he is in-
finite, and we know him not, neither can the
number of his years be searched out.

6. For the eyes of the Almighty are upon
the ways of men ; he seeth all their doings,

5

50

aad setteth at nought the wicked in the open
sight of others.

7. Because they wilfully turn from him,
conceiving iu their hearts, ^^It profiteth a
man nothing that he should delight himself
in God.'^

8. Therefore, knowing their thoughts and
devices, He overturneth them, so that they
are crushed, and none to deliver them.

9. He beholdeth all high things, respecteth
none who are vain and conceited, but is a
terror to all the sons of pride.

10. Abhorring those who are ostentatious,
debasing them to the dust, he alleweth others
to fill their places.

11. He sendethhis interpreters, one among
a thousand, to explain and warn men of their
danger, and shew his willingness to save them
from the pit of destruction.

12. If they obey his laws, he will grant
their requests ; they will behold his face with
joy, and finally obtain his forgiveness.

13. Wherefore Job, consider and hearken
to my words. Thou erroneously hast said,
^^ My doctrine is pure and I am clean,^^ but
remember that God exacteth of thee less than
thine errors deserve.

14. Thou art forward in fulfilling the judg-
ment of the wicked : justice therefore hath
again taken hold on thee.

15. But in future, cleave to those things
that are honest and of good report, and have
no more fellowship with the ungodly.

16. Regard not iniquity : for this thou hast

51

adhered to^ rather than submission^ and these
thy doings have been thy folly.

17. Magnify therefore thy Maker's work,
and suspect not the rectitude of his dispensa-
tions.

CHAP. XIX.

Joh^s last reply to his censorious friends^ with his
closing address to God,

" Almighty God, in pity set me free,

And let me once again thy mercy see !

So shall the voice of my complaining cease,

And Job's last breath shall bless Thee for his peace.'-

1. Job, wearied out with the severe re-
proaches of his friends, answered and said,

2. Wherefore these incessant criminations
and admonitions ? Wherefore do ye fill your
mouths with words of reproof, and thus ad-
dress me with language so unfriendly ?

3. According to your professions, had I
not reason to expect that your words would
have been uprightness and candor, and that
your lips would have taught knowledge and
wisdom.

4. But how have ye counselled him, that
hath no wisdom ? Or supported the feeble
arm that hath no strength ?

5. How have ye helped the afflicted who is
without power ? Or when have ye fully de-
clared things as they are ?

6. I am assured that God is supreme over
all the earth, and know as well as ye, that
his judgments are equity and truth.

7. But whence cometh wisdom and under-
standing ? Man knoweth not the value there-
of, neither is it to be found in the land of the
living.

8. The depths of the earth saith, it is not
in me : and the springs in the sea say, it is
not with us : neither the gold of Ophir ; the
precious onyx, or the wealth of Peru can
equal it.

9. Grod only knows the place thereof, his
ways are known to himself, and communicates
to man what he thinks fit.

10. To Him. therefore, will I refer my
cause, and my supplication shall ascend to
Lis mercy's seat.

1 1 . He knows my wants and desires, and
the thoughts and intentions of every one are
naked and open to the view of his omnis-
cience.

IS. His providence is displayed through-
out the universe, and all nature is subject to
his control.

18. He compasseth the waters with bounds
until day and night come to an end ; the pil-
lars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at
his reproof.

14. He stretcheth out the north over the
empty place ; suspendeth the earth upon
nothing, and bindeth up the waters in the
thick clouds.

15. He causeth the vapours to ascend, he

53

maketh lightnings with rain^ and bringeth the
winds from his treasures.

16. His power and goodness descend to the
earth, whereby he satisfieth the desolate and
waste ground, which causeth the tender herb
to shoot forth.

17. By his alnaighty wisdom the heavens
are garnished, liis hand also hath formed the
crooked serpent.

18. Lo ! these are but parts of his doings,
and how small a portion is heard of him ;
being of one mind in all his ways, he per-
formeth all things as he pleaseth.

19. I will, therefore, adhere to his coun-
sel ; 1 will obey his precepts, and hope in
his mercy, until 1 go hence and be no more
seen.

20. I know, O Lord, thou canst do all
things ; I revere thy power, and the rectitude
of thy ways.

31. I have heard of thee by the hearing
of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee.

S^S. Wherefore 1 abhor myself, and repent
in dust and ashes.

23. I have uttered things that I understood
not^ things too wonderful for me that I could
not comprehend.

21. If 1 have done iniquity, 1 will do no
more. O restore, heal, and bless thy servant^

" Thou canst accomplish all things, Lord of mightj
And every thought is naked to thy sight.
But, Oh ! thy ways are wonderful, and lie
Beyond the deepest search of mortal eye.
Once and again, (with grief I now deplore)
My tongue has err'd,but shall presume no more.

5*

Oft have I heard of thine almighty power,
But never saw thee till this favour'd hour.
My voice once seem'd in lasting silence bound,
But now with heavenly happiness I'm crown'd.
Transporting view ! the Lord of life I see,
Resign myself, and give my soul to Thee,
Nor shall my weakness tempt thine anger more -^
Man was not made to question, but adore,"

CHAP. XX.

Conclusion,

'• At last the Almighty in the cause appear'd,
His righteous acts to clear and to defend,

Job own'd his goodness and his power rever'd,
And joy and comfort bless'd his latter end»"

1. The Almighty then accepted Job, and
spake unto filipbaz the Temanite, and Bil-
dad the Shubite, and Zophar the Naama-
tbite, and commanded them to offer burnt-
offerings.

2. They all, therefore, obeyed, according
as the Lord commanded.

3. Job's trials and patience were thus
proved ; no temptations allured bim ; no ca-
lamities occasioned bis revolt from the path
of duty,

4. Through all his sufferings, the Most
High was bis sure defence, and the Holy One
of Israel bis refuge.

35

5. And the prayer of Job was heafd and
accepted in behalf of his friends by the Al-
mighty, who proclaimed that there were none
like him in all the earth for uprightness and
integrity.

6. And the Lord turned Job's captivity
into the joy of salvation, and restored to him
his former dignity and honour^ and raised
him to double prosperity.

7. Wo that, by happy experience^ lie found
in the event, that though the face of Provi-
dence may sometimes be veiled with dark-
ness, yet light is shown for the righteous, and
gladness for the upright in heart*

8. Then came unto Job all his brethren,
and his sisters, and those of his former ac-
quaintance, presenting their gifts, comforting
him, and partaking of bread and rejoicings.

9. Thus the Lord blessed the latter end of
Job, more than the beginning ; by increasing
his wealth in numerous flocks and herds of
cattle, and by enlarging his family.

10. And in all that land were no women
found so fair as the daughters of Job : and
their father gave them inheritance among their
brethren.

11. After this Job lived an hundred and
forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons^
sons, even four generations.

13. Thus Job died^ being old and full of
years.

THE END,

CONTENTS.

Page.
Preface. ------ 57

CHAP. I.

Sections i. ii. hi. and iv. contain Job's cliarae-
ter, wealth, misfortunes, resignation, and pa-
tience, &e. . - - - 59

CHAP. II.

Sec. I. Job's friends visit him. — Sec. ii. La-
ments that ever he was born, and regrets the

day of his birth Sec. hi. Speech of Eli-

phaz, &e. - - - " 6 A

CHAP. 111.

Sec I. Job expostulates with his Maker, — com-
plains of his severity, — earnestly supplicates
for relief, — resents the conduct of his friends,
who had unjustly accused him of crimes, — &c. 66

CHAP. IV.

Sec. i. Zophar's reflections against Job,— pro-
secutes his arguments with vehemence and vi-
olence, on the same false ground, as Eliphaz
and Bildad, — concludes by exhorting him to
repentance, &c. - - - 70

CHAP. V.

Sec. i. Job in reply observes, that his cause is
good, and himself free from guilt, — that
although his trials were great, he will not
reflect on his Maker, — concludes with recit-
ing his deplorable situation, &c. - 7^

11

CHAP. VL

Sec. I. and ii. The opening of this chapter eon-
tains an extract from a speech of Eliphaz.
with bitter sarcasms, reproaches, &e» — Sec.
III. Advises Job, however, to humble himself
before God, who will in the end bestow on
bira his grace and favour. - - ^'^

CHAP. VII.

Sec. I. II. and iii. Job complains of his
friends' derisian and severity, — observes that
a man's worldly condition, whether prosper-
ous or adverse, is no criterion of his moral
character, — laments his hopeless condition, —
often in excesses of grief and despair, reflects
irreverently on his Maker, &c. — concludes
hy anticipating a fut^ire triumph, &c. &c. 1''S

CHAP. VIII.

Job denies the guilt imputed to him by hi:^

frieuds — places full confidence in his Maker

r —expresses his admiration on the immensity

nf hii power, &c. &c. 8^

CHAP. IX.

>*^£e. I. Contains fiery speeches of Zophar and
Elihu, calculated to exasperate the wounds
already advanced by Biphaz and Bildad,
it appears, for the sole purpose of pro-
voking him to further excesses of complaint,
U'hich occasions Job's justification in a sub-
sequent chapter. — Sec. ii. contains the intro-
duction of Elihu, with a speech to J©b. simi-
■ar to those criven bv his assorciates* - 8S

CHAP. X.

Exhibits the deplorable condition of man in the
grave, in a train of gloomy ideas, rising suc-
cessively in a mind like Job's, &c. &c. - 85

CHAP. XL

Contains speeches collected principally from
Bildad, representing in a lofty strain the
terrible majesty, supreme dominion, and in-^
finite perfections of the Deity, &c. - 87

CHAP. XIL

Sec. I. Job sets forth his former felicity, in the
singular favour of God to his person, family
and fortunes, and the pleasing hope he had
of the permanence of that happpiness in re*
ward of his virtue, &c. - - s%

CHAP. XIIL

Being a contrast to the foregoing, represents
Job*s disappointment, — the insults he re-
ceived, — the sad condition of his body,
and the despairing state of his mind. — The
passions expressed herein are grief and in-
dignation. — Concludes in a fervent wish, that
his words ipay be preserved as a memento to
posterity. - . - . 9^

CHAP. XIV.

Sec. I. and ii. Wherein Job and his friends dis-
play God's power and dominion in his won-
derful works, infers from thence the igno-
rance of man, and concludes that the doings
of the Supreme Being are right, and ought
to be adored. - - - - 94

XV

CHAP. XV.

Contaios Job's reply — prosecutes his arguments
by taking a retrospective view of his past life
— explains with firmness and perspicuity his
motives to action ; and refers his plea to his
Maker, &c. - - - - 98

CHAP. XVI.

Contains Elihu's address to his seniors, disap-
proving Job's justifying himself, — blames
them for tlieir s^ilenee, and observes the im-
pulse he laboured under to give his thoughts
vent, &e. .... ±02

CHAP. xvn.

Contains further remarks of Elihu to Job,
tendering his advice, — and shews the folly
and wickedness of tyranny and oppression. 103

CHAP. XVIII.

Contains further observations from Elihu to Job,
in vindication of the ways of God to man, —
solicits his candid attention by several en-^
gaging motives. - - . 105

CHAP. XIX.

Job upon conviction, humbles himself for many
rash expressions while under the afflicting
hand of Providence, and makes penitential
acknowledgments. - - - 107

CHAR XX.

His friends reproved for iheir uncharitable
censures in the controversy with him, and
are directed to make atonement for tbeir
offences. — His restoration to superior pros-
perity to what he enjoyed previous to his
misfortunes. - - - - 10$

PART OF THE

PREFACE TO THE BOOK OF JOB,

PARAPHRASED*
BY THOMAS SCOTT,

THE Poem presents to us the shades of an illustri-
ous character ; a great and j^ood man, in the depth of
adversity, reduced to despair, and complaining loudly
of the ways of God. His three most intimate friends,
who came to condole with Iiim, very early insinuate
their uncharitable suspicions : and afterwards openly
accuse him of atrocious wickedness, as the cause of
his afflictions. Accordingly they exhort him to re-
pentance, which a wicked man needeth, as the only
means of his restoration. By thus defending the
honour of Providence at their friend's expense, they
exasperate his distress, inflame his passions, and
hurry him into blameable excesses in the justification
of himself, and in expostulations with his Maker
about the reasons of his sufferings. He is, however,
by wiser management in the hands of Elihu, gradu-
ally recovered to a beconling temper ; and at last
acknowledgeth his fault to the Almighty, in the full-
est terms of contrition and self-abasement ; with this
complete confession the poem is closed, and the de-
sign accomplished. The moral of such a poem,
formed on the plan of discontent with the measures
of Providence, and the issue of that discontent in
submission to them, is too obvious to stand in want of
explanation. The majesty and sublimity of this di-
6

58

vine composition have been admired by writers of tlie
first rank in genius, taste, and learning ; as the lan-
guage is very old Hebrew ; and the manners of those
of the earliest ages. One observes, that it particu-
larly excels in conciseness, force, and fulness of ex-
pression, in masterly painting, both of the violent
and tender passions, in moving representations of hu-
man life, great powers of description, and the sim-
plicity of its theology and ethics.

ERRATA.

Chapter II. Sec. .. idst line, for '* Fortune," read Torture ; and
Sec. III. page 64, 3d line from top, for^'stnng," read strung.
Chapter VI. page 77, 15th line from top, for ^^whcoi,*' read
ivhose.

PARAPHRASE.

CHAPTER L

SECTION 1. — JoVs Character^ Wealth, and tliches.
There liv'd an Arab of distinguished fame
In Idumean Uz ; and Job his name :
Of spotless manners, with a soul sincere,
£vil his hate, and G«?d alone his fear.
Seven sons his patriarchal sway rever'd.
His household cares three beauteousdaughters cheer'd.
His flocks in thousands browsed, his camels fed
In thousands; o'er his fertile pastures spread.
In beeves-, and beasts of more ignoble strain,
In rural magazines, and rustic train.
His mighty opulence no rival found
Among the princes of Arabians bound..
On the glad season of each natal day
Sweet friendship calFd, the brother friends obey :
With earth's best gifts the festal board was blest^
And each fair sister came a bidden guest.
Oft as these rounds of social joy expir'd,
The pious father holy rites required :
By due ablutions 'cleai/s'd, the filial band
For solemn sacrifice around him stand :
AVhen, rising with the morn, the priestly sire
Dispos'd the atonement on the hallowed fire.
For every child a costly victim blaz'd,
For every child a fervid pray'r he raised
^' Forgive my children's sin, all gracious Power

^ If aught displeas'd thee in their mirthful hour :
" If some loose moment's gaiety of heart
^^ E'er said to piety and God| departj'-

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SEC. 2. — His Misfortunes.

'TwAS on the birth-day of his elder sod,
The kindred met, the banquet was begun- —
When, lo, a servant, breathless, pale with fear,
Bare heavy tidings to his master's ear :
Thy asses graz'd, thy heifers turn'd the soil,
Sabean robbers flew upon the spoil :
Thy faithful slaves lie slaughter'd on the plain,
I, only I, to bring the tale remain.
Him interrupt another's doleful cries ;
The fire of God was darted^ from the skies,
The flocks and shepherds are consum'd alone,
I, wretch, survive, to make the mischief known.
A third ; The Chaldees, in a triple band,
Have fore'd the camels to a foreign land.
I only from their cruel swords have fled.
To speak their loss and how the herdsmen bled.
Worse message followed, followed close behind.
The bearer's look spoke horror in his mind:
Thy first born son, his brethren, sisters all
Were met, and feasting in his friendly hall :
When rushing from the wild, a wheeling blast
Full on the house, all ways its, fury cast :
Thy children smother'd, in the ruin fell,
I only live the fatal blow to tell.

SEC. 3. — His Resigriation,

Then Job arose ; and father now no more,
He lopt his flowing hair, his robe he tore :
Prone to the dust he bowM his rev'rent head.
And, worshipping, with humblest accents said :
Peace every murmur, naked into birth
We came, and naked shall return to earth.
The Lord in bounty gave, but gave in trust.
The Lord resumes : resuming, not unjust ;

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Giving, resuming, be is still the Lord,
Still be the glories of iiis name ador'd.

SEC. 4. — Hi!^ Patience and Submission.

Again affliction's wound, he felt all o'er,
Smitten with boils and stung at evVy pore.
Down in the dust he sat in humble sign
Of sorrow passive to the will divine,
'Twas then, the frail companion of his care
Wounded his soul with words of wild despair:
What, still a saint ? go on, and cringing low,
Praise him once more, and feel his mortal blow.
Dost thou, (he said, and cast a tender look
While zeal delivered its severe rebuke,)
E'en thou thus rashly speak ? in such a style,
Let a blind paganess her Gods revile.
Jehovah's hand divides our portion still :
Shall we embrace his good and not his ill ?

CHAP. IL

SEe. 1.— Jb6's friends visit him.

Lamenting fame now hasten'd frora^ his place,
Temanian Eliphaz, of Shuah's race,
Bndad and Zophar, of Naamah's line.
These, guided by the voice of friendship, join ;
Then speedy to their suff'ring friend they go.
To mingle tears and mollify his woe.
His form now opens to their distant view,
But O how alien from the form they knew !
They sprinkled dust upon their heads, they rent
Their flowing vesture, and aloud lament.
Then seated near him on the ground, amaze
Fetter'd their tongues. For seven succeeding days,

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With mourning rite, their visit they renewM,
But silent still. They saw, his grief withstood
All lenient counsel 5 for his looks exprest
Fortune, arnl huge affiictioa in his breast.

SEC. 2. — In th^ extremity of his anguish^ Job laments
that ever he was born^ and regrets tha day of his
birth.

At length the suffering man opprest with pain,

Pour'd forth his anguish in lamenting strain:

Regardless he that day my years began !

That night forget which hail'd the new born man

Dark, total darkness, be that day ; nor eye

Of God, all viewing from his throne on high,

Its revolution heed : nor orient beam

Revisit, gladd'ning with its golden stream.

Let death possess it with its dreary shade,

Let storm and thundVing cloud its heav'n invade j

Let boding signs, from all the quartered sphere,

Trouble its brow and terrify the year.

That night let darkness in his realm replace.

Erase it from the rolls- of time, erase.

All through that lonesome time may silence reign,

Nor joy intrude, nor joy-awak'ning strain.

The guilty night that causM my mother's throe,

And gave me being but to give me woe. ^

Ah ! why not bury'd in the womb ? or why

Not favor'd, recent from the womb, to die ?

Why did the midwife-knee the birth receive ?

Or the full pap its fatal nurture give ?

Else 1 had lain, at ease, in sleep profound,

In peaceful chambers of the cavern'd ground.

And sweetly rested ; with a princely train, \

Whose burial mansions load the desert plain. V

Vain works of kings ! and fill'd with wealth as vain! )

68

Or like the abortive^ I had ne'er begun :
Or, not less happy, ne'er beheld the sun.
The still born infant's lot had been my own,
A nameless being, and a grave unknown.
O land desir'd ! where tyrants scourge no more,
Where chiefs repose, and statesmen's toils are o'er;
The captive's home, who slumb'ring on his clod,
Hears not the cruel voice nor sounding rod.
There great and small are undistinguish'd mouldy
And there the slaves among the free enroll'd.
Why o'er the wretched must the day-star roll,
Who nauseate life in bitterness of soul ?
Who wait the coming of the king of fears ;
Who seek the ruthless dart his hand uprears.
Impatient seek ; as greedy misers toil
For treasures bury'd in the rocky soil ?
And when the grave appears, with sparkling eyes,
Spring and in rapture seize the blissful prize.
Why must I breathe, who see no gleam of light
Whom God environs with despair*s black night r
My daily meal but deepens all my groans.
And like the bursting sluice I pour my moans.
Ah boding fears 1 I suffered what I fear'd 1
Soon as divin'd, the dreaded ill appear'd :
Still trembling, suffering, I'm allow'd to know
No ease from terror, nor one pause in woe.

SEC. 3. — Speech of Eliphaz occasioned in consequence
ofJob^s complaint — that, instead of murmuring, to
submit his case to God, which in the end would turn
to his advantage.

The Temanite observ'd : To speak our sense
^hall we presume, and hazard the offence ?
But whom can sHence hold, or doubt suspend
Ta truth unfaithful or displease a friend ?

64

Not such the strain, when grief attentive hung
On the wise lessons of thy powerful tongue :
Affliction's palsied arm was stung by thee.
The tott'ring step eonfirm'd and feeble knee :
What numbers, in the conflict, half subdu'd,
Arous'd to courage, strong in patience stood !
Now touch thyself, and thine the suffering part,
Maz'd und unmanned thou faintest with the smart.
Should not tby piety, beneath the rod.
Inspire a noble confidence in God ?
And conseious virtue, by its glorious power,
Fill thee with prospect of salvation's hour ?
A just mail perish ? innocence overthrown ?
Name the strange instance ; in what climate known ?
But sinners thun, if I these eyes believe.
Fit harvest of the crimes they sow receive.
A furious storm, the Almighty's angry breath,
Rush'd down and smote them with enormous death.
But hear the word divine, to me convey'd.
Than pearls more precious, in the midnight shade :
Amidst the emotions which from visions rise.
When more than nature's sleep seals human eyes,
Fear seiz'd my soul, the hand of horror strook
My shudd'ring flesh and every member shook,
For a strong wind with rushing fury pass*d
So near, so loud, blast whirling after blast.
That my hair started at each stiff^'ning pore,
And stood erect. At once the wild uproar
Was hush'd ; a presence burst upon my sight
(I saw no shape) in majesty of light :
Voice followed, and celestial accents broke.
Which in these terms their awful dictates spoke :
^' Is God arraigned ? absolv'd man's sinful dust ?
" Less pure his Maker ? or his Judge le«s just ?
'' Lo he discerns, discern'd by him alone,
" Spots in the sanctities around the throne :

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" Nor trusts his noble ministerg of flam^y

" To yield him service unalloyed with blame.

" Yet, innocent of blame, shall man be found,

" Tenants of clay and reptiles of the ground ?

" Crush'd like the moth, these beings of a day

** With unregarded waste are swept away :

^' Their honors perish and themselves descend

" Fools to the grave and thoughtless of their end.'^

Be now complainant, the defendant see.

Which angel will espouse thy daring plea ?

Learn, learn that misery is the mulct of sin.

In men^s own bosoms all their woes begin :

Revenge or envy hurries fools along,

Pursu'd by death, to cruelty and wrong.

Think not those changes from the dust arise^

Nor seek their origin below the skies :

Man is to sorrow born, if man offend,

As surely as the spiry flames ascend.

Instead of murmur, with repenting tear

I'd leave my cause in God's all-gracious ear:

Whose acts are great, stupendous, and renown'd,

Which no thought fathoms and no numbers bound :

Who pouring on the fields his genial rain,

Turns a burnt desart into foodful plain :

Who lifts the lowly, from their dust, on high,

And changes into song the mourner's cry.

O scorn not thou ; the same kind wounding hand

Its balm infuses and applies its band.

Then ills on ills about thy path may swell ;

In vain ! his arm will every ill repel.

In famine, fulness shall thy table cheer,

And war, wide wasting, shake his harmless spear.

Rages the tongue of slander ? undismayed,

Walk thou in covert of Almighty shade.

7

66

When beasts of mischief prowl, with smile behold
Thy clust'ring vineyard and thy crowded fold.
Thy foot shall be in cov'nant with the stone,
And furious dragons thy dominion own.
Know also 5 that thy long-extended race
Shall multiply as grass before thy face :
Know further ; peace thy household reign shall bless,
And all thy counsels crown thee with success.
And thou all hoary to the grave be borne,
As to its heap the meliowM ear of corn.
Thus speaks our searching thought, instruction sure
Apply, embrace it, and its good secure.

CHAP. III.

SEC. I. — Job expostulates with his Maker ; bitterly
complains of the severity towards hiin, earnestly
supplicates relief on this trying occasion ; he little
expected from Eliphaz such harsh constructions of
his complaints^ much less that his innocence would
be questioned ; he therefore expresses the various
emotions and resentful feelings of conscious integ-
rity^ stung with unjust censures and groundless
criminations.

FOR a balance pois'd with equal hand !

Lay all my sorrows there, 'gainst ocean's sand :
Light is the sand whereon the billows roll.
When weigh'd with all the sorrows of my soul.
Ah ! therefore, therefore, does my boiling woe
In such a vehemence of words o*erflow.

1 feel, I feel the Almighty's venom'd dart,
His arrows fire my veins and drink my heart :
'Gainst me his terrors set in thick array,
War behind war, unbounded wrath display.
As the tir'd swain pants for umbrageous eve,
To rest from labour and his hire receive -,

67

So I but I am destined to sustain

Long months of woe, and tedious nights of pain :
Laid on my pillow, soon I wish to rise ;

when will midnight gloom forsake the skies ?

1 toss from side to side ; and tossing still
Morn eyes me, as she climbs her eastern hill ;
A mass of putrefaction shrouded o'er

With ulc'rous wounds, and worms and dirt and gore.

My days, alas ! how rapid have they pass'd !

The threaded shuttle never flies so fust :

My web is firiish'd. No remaining clew

(Such hope for folly) shall the work renew.

What else but sorrow is the time of man :

A hireling's life his predetermined span ?

O think, roy time is but a breath ; its good

A flitting vision not to be review'd :

Shewn to the world ; ere men can look me round,

Thy glance but strikes me and I am not found.

A morning mist, soon vanish'd out of sight,

Is man descending to the world of night

Ne'er to return : his house no more will own

The voice forgotten and the step unknown.

O tort'ring thought I I will not now control

Th' intolerable anguish of my soul :

Give, give my tongue, th' unruly passion vent,

In bitterness of heart I will lament.

Ah ! whensoe'er my aching eyes I close.

And hope the anodyne of sweet repose ;

Dream, on thy errand sent, dire forms uprears,

And shakes my soul with visionary fears :

Death, even by the strangling cord, were bliss

To breathing in a skeleton like this.

O how it would my longijig soul elate.

Might I with God himself my cause debate i

68

And plead not guilty : his absolving voice
With sweet salvation will my soul rejoice :
None but the wicked his tribunal dread,
Guilt in his presence dares not lift its head.
Hear, hear, my pleading hear ; the plann'd defence,
Assur'd of noble triumph, I commence :
Stand forth, accuser ; thy indictment prove,
I'll yield to die ; nor will one murmur move.
On two conditions (O indulge that grace)
1*11 seek no shelter from thy awful face :
Remove thy crushing hand far off; and dart
No dreadful radiance to distract my heart :
Thou then arraign ; I'll answer with my plea :
O deign thou answer, while I question thee :
What is this mortal ? that thy lofty thought
Bestows such honour on a thing of nought^
As to pursue him with a jealous eye,
Visit each morning and each moment try ?
What, and how many, are my sins ? reveal
My crimes, my treasons, which thy rolls conceal.
What provocation veils thy face in frown ?
Why me proscribe as rebel to thy crown ?
Shall pow'r almighty give the whirlwind law
To toss a leaf and persecute a straw ?
Decrees severe ! my youthful follies — these
Now feel thy vengeance — O severe decrees !
With bonds, and stripes, and durance hard, by the^
The punishment of slaves is laid on me ;
To rottenness and worms a living prey.
Like a moth-eaten vest I waste away.
O that, indulgent to my earnest cry,
God would extend his thundering arm on high 5
Unpitiful his flaming trident throw,
And driving through its mark the mortal blow,

69

At once destroy me. In that horrid death.

Exulting hope shall spend my latest breath :

For never, never hath my faithful breast

The mandates of his holy will supprest.

What is my strength ? what beckons me to stay

Still lingering here, and hope some healing day ?

Is my flesh fashion'd of unfeeling brass ?

My sinews stubborn as the marble mass ?

In this weak wasted body, can I find

Recruit from one sound vital left behind ?

Behold my putrid frame ; it was not cast

A substance through whole centuries to lasti

O stay thy hand, a dying mortal spare ;

The bubble life will quickly burst in air :

And you, my friends, reft*ain, awhile refrain,

And yield me a short breathing pause from pain.

That I have sinn'd, all-watehing Power, I own ;

But can my sins alarm th' eternal throne ?

Why am I made the object to employ

Thy shafts? the nuisance,whieh thou wouldst destroy?

A friend the sorrow of his friend should feel,

Relieve by pity and by counsel heal :

Else, void of bowels, and too hard for tears,

No arbiter of human woes he fears.

You all now fail me like the floods which roar

Down the steep hills with temporary store :

Thick with the vernal thaw their torrents grow,

And foam impetuous with dissolving snow.

Anon, the fury of the scorching beams

Drains their full channels, and imbibes their streams :

Short and more short the shrinking currents run,

Steal into air and perish in the sun.

Parch'd Sheba looks, and Tema's thirsty bands

Hope the cool waters in the distant sands :

7*

70

They come ; they view, confounded at their trust,
Where foam'd their floods, a smothering vale of dust.
Alike my trust in you ; illusion all !
Friends while I stood, but starting at my fall.
Ask'd I or gift or ransom ? or implor'd
Your arm to save me from the lifted sword ?
Candour is all I ask ; with candour taught,
Pm mute ; I never will defend a fault :
Whom should a just rebuke, well tim'd, displease ?
But what conviction in harangues like these ?
Have ye caball'd for this ? and thou their chief ?
At sounds to quarrel, breath of hopeless grief ?
Cruel ! you wound the fatherless ; you bend
The bow of satire at your bleeding friend.
O come, vouchsafe to view me ; can you trace
Guilt's evident confusion in my face ?
Review my plaint, nor call rebellion mine ;
Again review, its innocence will shine :
Or rather, will not generous mercy plead.
Cancel my trespass, and my healing speed ?
Lest, when the morrow's dawning beams appear,
Mv friends should seek me and not find me here.

CHAP. IV.

jjEC. I. — Zophar^ havmg attended to Job's defence
against the reasonings of Eliphaz and Bildad^ who
proceeded on the principle^ that misfortune is a
proof of guilt, and consequently that Job was not a
good inan^ prosecutes the argiiment against him
with vehemence and violence^ on the same false
ground^ and exhorts him to repentance^ ^c.

ZopHAR, inflam'd replies. Is noise defence ?
Artful harangue a proof of innocence P

n

Shall vain boasts silence us ? no speaker rise ?
No honest tongue ihy insolence chastise ?
Thy boldness clamours to the throne divine^
*' Pure is my conscience, spotless virtue mine.'^
O would the Almighty, to thy wish appear !
Expose thy guilt, and thunder in thy ear
Vengeance, that wisdom from our world conceals,
Double the worst which here the sinner feels :
Taught then, that justice hath requir'd, as yet,
Not half the value of thy penal debt.
Wouldst thou th' Eternal with thy line explore ?
Fathom almighty thought and find its shore ?
Go mete heaven's height, the depth of Hades sound,
Span the wide earth, and reach o'er ocean's bound.
He smites, imprisons, executes : what tongue
Shall dare to mutter, " hast thou done no wrong ?"
He knows impostors, shall he not requite
The sin clandestine, acted in his sight ?
That fools may be reelaim'd, sound sense supply 'd,
To fill the world with ignorance and pride 5
And nature's as the Zebra's colt untam'd,
Subdu'd by reason, into men be fram'd.
Thou, therefore, quell thy haughty spirit ; bend,
Bend thy stift'knee ; thy suppliant hands extend :
Shake out the bribe, the unrighteous gain expel
Nor suffer rapine in thy tents to dwell ;
Unclouded then, and unconfus'd with fear,
Thy face erect and sparkling shall appear :
Woe in thy memory shall leave no trace,
Like violent waters vanish'd from their place:
A happier age succeeds : emerging soon
Fair as the morn, more luminous than noon :
For thou, known favourite of celestial pow'r,
"Safe in the waking and the slumb'ring hour.

7»

*\roun(l thy wells, ihy crouching flocks around,
Shall range thy tents along the grassy ground *•
No terror shall thy peaceful camp alarm.
And princely chiefs shall court thy powerful arm.
Lo, God, impartial in his frown and smile,
Nor hates the worthy nor befriends the vile :
Nor thee will leave, till laughter in thy eyes
Shall sparkle, and the hymn triumphant rise :
While on thy foes he pours eternal shame.
Overthrows the wicked and uproots their name.
But stubborn sinners watch with wearied eyes.
Help, far away from their distresses flies.
And death's black shades,their last sad refuge, rise.

CHAP. V.

SEC. I. — Job replies — that although he knows his
cause to be good and free of guilty proceeds ear-
nestly soliciting from the Mnighty his compassion^
ate attention J enters into a description of his mis*
erable situation^ and humbly begs relief.

I, THEN, shall I, against a pow'r so great
Presume to rise, and study bold debate ?
My cause, though just, I never will defend
Were he the plaintifi*, but a suppliant bend :
Or should I bring the hardy action, he
Humble his greatness in responsive plea ;
I never would believe my voice had found
Audience of him ; who smote me to the ground
With tempest unprovok'd ; and urges still.
Not isufffering me to breathe, with sharpest ill.
Can force avail ? th' almighty shakes the rod :
Can justice ? who shall be the judge of God ?
Though just my cause, e*en innocence must wear
A blush before him, if disputing there :

7S

With him disputing, virtue's plea is vain,
The plea itself the pleader will arraign.
My heart, and surely my own heart 1 know,-
Tells me I'm upright ; yet my portion's woe.
AVoe is my portion in severe degree
And life is made a heavy load to me.
Sick, sick of living, my complaint I'll loose,
1 will the anguish of my soul eifuse :
AVill say to God, condemn me not untry'd ;
Ah ! why from me my accusation hide !
Canst thou by arbitrary will be led ?
Lay guilt's demerits on my guiltless head ?
Hate thy own workmanship ? and dart thy ray
On daring sinners, who blaspheme thy sway ?
Is man's gross eye, and partial vision, thine P
Live human passions in the mind divine ?
Is thy existence like a mortal's span ?
Are thy years bounded as the years of man ?
That time and torture must to thee reveal
Suspected treason, which my wiles conceal.
Thy knowledge clears me 5 yet thy boundless mighty
By none evaded or by force or flight,
Destroys my frame ; which thy own matchless art
Fashion'd with curious ties of part to part.
Remember, O remember, that like clay
Whose shapes the workman's plastic will obey,
My form thou mouldest from its earthy grain 5
And thou wilt crumble me to earth again.
O think of those kind moments, when began
Thy hands to sketch the rudiment of man 5
Curdled the milky drop, my limbs defin'd,
"With flesh and skin my tender substance lin'd,
With sinews brae'd, and fenc'd with solid bone :
Compacted thus, to natal vigour grown,

74

Thy care edtie-d me, and thy favour crovvn'd ;

And still thy power upholds on living ground.

Yet, well I know, the secret of thy mind

These evils, in reserve, for me designed ;

llesolv'd to follow me with w^atchful eyes,

Each sin to notice, and each sin chastise :

If wicked, the predestin'd woe comes down j

Righteous, I droop beneath thy fatal frown.

Full of confusion, and o'erwhelm'd with scorn,

By all beholders, as a wretch forlorn.

Chas'd like a lion, hotly chas'd by thee.

Thy plagues, stupendous plagues, were heap'd on me.

Jav'lins, on jav'iins huri'd, the war renew,

And woes succeeding woes my life pursue.

Why did I breathe ? O happy had I been,

Had I this world of sorrow never seen I

A being, and no being ; from the womb.

Hurried in midnight silence to the tomb.

Ah ! 'tis a little, which of life remains 5

O spare that little, O remove my pains :

Ere, never to return, my foot descends

To realms where death his horrid shade extends :

Realms, which in shades of dolesome darkness lie ;

Cold dense obscurity, without a sky 5

Without a twinkling star, and where the light

Is one eternal noon of dismal night.

My days are speeding with a courier's haste,

A glance at pleasure, not allow'd to taste ;

Swift as the rush boat down the swelling Nile,

Swift as an eagle darts upon the spoil.

If sweet hope whisper, " thy lamenting tongue

*' The style of sorrow shall forget ere long ;

'' Thy brow remove its cloudy veil, like morn,

^< And placid smile thy open face adorn ;'*

75

Then all my sutt*'rings rise ; I sink with fear,
Despairing thy absolving voice to hear.

Yes, I am wicked wherefore waste I time,

In fruitless labor to disprove my crime ?
Unsullied as if wash'd in melted snow.
These harmless hands I never blush'd to show:
Yet drown'd in mire by thee I*m so impure,
Not my own garments will my touch endure.
Is he a man, my fellow, can we meet
Parties in doubtful strife, at judgment's seat r
Who shall, as arbiter between us stand,
To lay on both his reprehensive hand ?
Let him remove his rod, nor let the blaze
Of Godhead stun me with his dreadful rays 5
Then fearless I would plead : but thus distrest,
All is confusion in my guiltless breast.

CHAP, VI.

SEC. I. & II. — Contains a further fiery speech from
Eliphaz ivith bitter sarcasms, reproaclies, ^c. — in
the 3d section he however advises Job to humble him-
self before God, who in the end would bestow on
him his grace and favour.

The Temanite then said, AVhat storm is this,
From our wise man of pride and emptiness 1
This wisdom's language P Is a wise man's mind
Big with the poison of an eastern w ind ?
When man is wise, he then again replied,
'Tis for himself : does Heav'n the gain divide ?
Must God high value on thy virtue set ?
If thou art just, is providence in debt ?

76

And will he, trembling, from his throne descend,
To still thy cavils and his ways defend ?
Art thou unconscious of thy vast offence ?
Is not the number of thy sins immense ?
Extortions from thy kin defile thy hands,
The shivering loin its rag from thee demands.
To thee the thirsty sued, the famish'd sigh'd,
SeaPd was thy fountain, and thy crust deuy'd.
A fav'rite name enjoy'd his spoil secure.
The strongest arm still made the title sure ;
While the wrong'd widow pour'd her fruitless moan,
And orphans crush'd by thy injustice groan.
Hence ambus'd ills about thy path were set.
Hence the dire sweep of desolation's net;
Hence black despair, like night around thee spread,
And booming waters billowing o'er thy head.
Beholds not God, from his ethereal seat.
The stars dim-twinkling far beneath his feet ?
Yet mark the distance, how immensely far.
From this low dwelling to the nearest star !
Thy frenzy argu'd ; can the ways of men
Lie in the compass of his bounded ken ?
Gross atmosphere, with interposing screen
Conceals the prospect of this earthly scene ;
He, veil'd in clouds, to his own cares confined,
Walks round his azure realms unheeding human kind.

SEC. II.

O THOU, whose passion at the ways of God,
Rends thy own soul, shall he renounce his rod.
Desert our world, or change his fix'd decrees.
As the rock fix'd, thy murmurs to appease i
And will you thus abuse the pow'rs of breath.
To vent opinions mischievous as death ?

77

Death to religion, to all virtue bane.

Thy words the lifted hands of prayer restrain.

Thy mouth bewrays, spite of its glossing art

Th' impiety close-lurking in thy heart :

By thy own mouth eondemn'd, what need of mine ?

Sufficient voucher for thy guilt is thine.

Born before Adam, saw thy favour'd eyes

The wood-erown'd hills from eldest ocean rise ?

Hast thou in the celestial synod stood ?

The counsels heard, th* Almighty's edicts viewM ?

Dost thou possess the secrets of his rule ?

Thou oniy wi«e and ev^ry man a fool ?

What boasts thy knowledge above ours ? Behold,

With us the head in grave experience old ;

Yea th' old man, to whom low-bending years

Thy father's wrinkled age as youth appears.

Mean are divine emollients ? held for vile,

Friendship's monitions couch'd in friendly style ?

Whither will headlong pride impel thy soul ?

How fiercely wild thy flashing eye-balls roll,

Thy spirit turning upon God again.

And passion raving in audacious strain I

^' What, piireuess challeng'd by a child of dust ?

*' By woman born, the lofty style of just ^

** Not pure not just, before his piercing sight,

*• Are even his holy ministers of light ;

^^ How then, that foul abominable thing,

" Who sins as eager as he quaffs his spring f

SEC III.

Humble thyself to God, resign thy prey ;
Rich harvest follows the repenting day :
Embrace his lesions, his imperial word
Deep in the table of thy heart record.

7t

78

Vagrant from Goci, return ; with sparkling eyes

Then see thj bow'r reneu'd in beauty rise :

But hallow'd be thy tents, expel from thene«

All cover'd crime and manifest oft'ence.

Leave Ophir's gold in her own streams to shine,

God allsuffieieut be lliy boundless mine.

To him, in blest fruition of his grace,

Noble aiiianee shall erect thy face.

He'll crown ihy prayer, mature thy vows in praise.

Thy edicts stablish, and illume thy ways.

The proud shall sink, on thy complaint deprest^

Affliction sing, redeem'd at thy request :

The righteous man shall stay th' Almighty's hand,

And turn the thunder from a sinning land.

CHAP. YII.

fiEc I. — Contains a speech of JoKs, in which he com-
plains of his friend^ s derision and severity . and from
his arguments it follows, that a man's worldly condi-
Hon, whether prosperous or adverse, is no criterion
of his moral character. — sec. ii — Reflects irrever*
ently on his J^Jaker ; he however in the third section
anticipates a future triumph^ ^c. Sfc*

Yes, answer'J Job, ye are the enlightened few,
Fav'rites (>f wisdom ! will she die with you ?
And yet my portion of the menial ray
Is not inferior to \otir boasted day.
And should not judgment be the crown of age f
And snow while locks bespeak th' experienc'd sage?
But disputants you are, and your replies
Show pompous triflers and invidious spies ^

79

Be dumb, so prove your wisdom ; dumb receive
Sharp eastigation, which my lips shall give.
Oa God's behalf these methods will you dare
Unjust iu judging, in disputes unfair ?
To him be partial, half the truth conceal ;
Then sanctify the fraud and call it zeal ?
Can you abide his test ? will soothing style,
Which man deceives, th' Almighty's ear beguile ?
If partial thought work secretly within,
Tremble 5 be certain he \i\\\ mark the sin.
Shall not his majesty your fears alarm ?
Nor yet the thunder of his lifted arm ?
What are your boasted maxims ? what your heap
Of swelling promises ? I hold them cheap :
Like as the dust before the rising gale
Molehills of sand, as worthless and as frail.
Peace, unraolestiug while 1 pour abroad
My honest pleadings by no peril aw'd :
Befall what will; I'll put within my hand
My trembling life, and every danger stand.
Officious in my case I find you all,
Your documents are stings, your comforts gall.
With endless brawl shall declamation roar ?
What rous'd by passion to one tempest more ?
Would I thus pour rough answers in your ear ?
Hard as your hearts, and as your style severe,
Or shake the scornful head, should heav'n assign
Your soul the miserable place of mine ?

Ah ! no soft pity should inspire my phrase,

I'd soothe your sorrows and your courage raise.

For me O what shall mollify my grief,

Nor plaining yields, nor silence yields relief;
And now I faint beneath its swelling load,
By sland'roas tongues unpeople my abode :

80

Vm siez'd as though a homicide by thee;
Then blaekeii'd with thy dariug calumuy.

SEC. II.

An I so it pleas'd th' Almighty to ordain,

Ev'n to expose me in his shaming chain,

To sons of Belial, to licentious throngs,

And the rude insult of reviling tongues.

I once was happy, but his forceful hand

Siez'd, shook me, hurl'd me from my lofty stand r

Then, bruised and dash'd to pieces, still on me,

Fix'd for his mark, vengeance I'm doom'd to see.

His unrelenting bowmen hem me round,

Pierce, cleave me, shed my viuJs on the ground.

'Tis he, e'en he, th' Almighty, is my foe,

His strong arm hews me, thund'ring blow on blow.

Grief's sable weed to my flaid body grows.

Grief on my honour'd head foul ashes throws,

Grief mars my face with scalding tears, and night

Black as the grave sits heavy on my sight. '

Yet are these hands with no injustice stain'd :

Pure from these lips still flows the prayer unfeign'd :

O earth, the blood accusing ine reveal ;

Its piercing voice in no recess conceal ;

My witness lives in heav'n whose conscious view

Does all my goings and my thoughts pursue. '

The pastime of my friends, my streaming eye

Looks up for pity to the pow'r on high.

O might 1 argue in his ear, and free

As in a mortal court maintain my plea:

p fix my trial ; cheerful I'll appear

Before thy face, my injured fame to clear.

Who shall arise, who give his plighting hand

As adverse party in this strife to stand ?

81

Not these ; for these thou leavest to a mind
Bemaz'd in error and with passion blind :
These thou wilt ne'er exalt, nor such ordoin
Thy cause to argue, and thy ways explain,
Whoe'er with libel stabs his weeping friend,
His race shall friendless to the grave descend :
This bold defanier shews me for a sign,
A dire example of the wrath divine :
Hence my wan look, and eye with sorrow dim,
Hence like a shadow seems each wasted limb.
Doubtless the just, astonished at the sight/
'Gainst the proud scorner will their zeal excite :
The friends of virtue will their way pursue,
And fearless innocence its force renew.
But you, all you, repent ; your thoughts revise,
Shall I not find e'en one among you wise ?

^Tis past O life, farewell my blissful schemes

Are broken off ah too, too pleasing dreams !

All-cheering sun, adieu, sepulchral night,
Blot the bright vision ; and be thou my light ;
My hope another bed, another home,
A bed of darkness and my house the tomb.
Thou art my father, grave ; my mother's claim
Be thine, O worm, and thine a sister's name.
My hope ! where is it ? who my hope shall see ?
It shall descend the winding grots with me :
Behold and wonder! there my hope and I
On the same couch of dust reposing lie,

SEC. III.

I KNOW that he whose years can ne'er decay,
Will from ihe grave redeem my sleepirjg clay;
When the last rolling sun shall leave the skie%
I shall revive and o'ei* the dast arise;

n*

8S

Then shall this mangled skin new form assnmei
This flesh then flourish in immortal bloom :
My raptur'd eyes the judging God shall see,
Estrang'd no more, but friendly then to me.
How does the lofty hope my soul inspire I
T burn, I faint with vehement desire.
Be warn'd, no more my innocence pursue :
Ks cause shall triumph in that just review.
Tremble ; these wrongs th' avenging sword demand,
The sword which arms the Almighty Ruler's hand :
You then shall know, that injur'd virtues sigh
Found audience with an equal Judge on high.

CHAP. viir.

Job denies the guilt imputed to himbij his friends^ —
places full confidence in the undeviating justice of
Qod — expresses his admiration on the immensity of
his poiuer.

Why are yonr thoughts, my friends, resolv'd in wrong,

HarsU answers still spring forward on your tongue $

Cease then ; nor falsities for comforts vend,

Alike to truth unfaithful and your friend.

Of whom hast thou harangu'd } whose breath hath cast

Such wond'rous wisdom from your mouths at last?

Jehovah will in pity set me free,

And let me once again his mercy see.

To him my fervent supplications cry,

Nor will his ear be deaf, nor pitiless his eye.

Guide me, O guide me, to the near recesi.

E'en to his5 throne of judgment I would press i

A thousand reasonings, regular and strong

The flow ©f innocence shall fill my tongue 5

8S

His answer, welcome to my longing ear,
Would the cause of these strange sufferings clear.
Will he confound me with his dreadful might ?
No, but my courage at his bar excite :
There bold integrity may urge its plea,
And there shall triumph be ordain'd for me.
Ah ! should I journey this terrestrial round,
He no where in its eastern coast be found.
In vain 1 seek him on the western shore,
In vain his footsteps in the north explore.
Or in the south : He, working in his might,
Wrapt in impervious shades eludes my sights
But, not unknowing in my ways, he knows
My truth his utmost proving undergoes,
As gold the furnace; and like gold shall rise,
Emerging, with new lustre, to his eyes.

CHAP. IX.

Pirst section contains a Jiery speech from Zopkar t^
Job^ calculated to exasperate the wounds already
advanced by Eliphaz and Bildad^ it appears, for
the sole purpose of provoking him to further excesses
of complaint, — which occasions Job's justification
in a subsequent chapter. — Second section contains
the introduction of Elihu, with a speech to JoBa
similar to those given by his associates.

Therefore, the fierce Naamathite replied,
My thoughts, returning with impetuous tide,
Impel oue answer more, nor needs my ear
Thy warning, nor thy menace will 1 fear.
Art thou unknowing, that the voice of time,
Since man was planted in this earthly clime,

8*

Proclaims, the song of profligates is short,

Th' oppressor's festal but a moment's sport ?

Advancing, and advancing let him rise

Till his proud climax touch the starry skies :

Behold his fall ! like his own odour tost

Into oblivion, from the world he's lost.

And wond'ring throngs, who saw his envied height^

Ask "whither has the meteor wing'd his flight ?"

He's vanished as a dream ; he's chas'd away,

Like a night-vision by the waking day.

No eye that glanc'd him shall the glance renew,

His place no more its haughty muater view.

For full of manhood's sap, his bones robust

Lie in the grave, and with him rot in dust :

Heirs of his woes, his helpless orphans flee

For shelter to the huts of poverty.

His crime is witness'd by the stormy skies,

The hostile earth against his crime will rise.

And his whole fortune that avenging day

Like torrents rattling down the rocks shall melt awayr

SEC. ir, — Speech of Elihu.

Attend, O Job ; with no unheeding soul
Receive my reasonings, patient of the whole :
Unmix'd with passion, from a tongue sincere,
No mean monition shall invite thy ear,
That forming spirit which all flesh inspires.
Breathes in my lungs and feeds the vital fires i
Me answer, if thou canst, thy plea dispose.
Stand firm, and with thy fellow-mortal close.
I to thy wish arise, for God I speak ;
Fashion'd like thee of elements as weak.
My arm no thunder wields, my face displays
No Godhead terrors and overwhelming blaz^^

89

PVe hear'd thee vauDt thy piirenes9, heard thee ctaiHi

Unsullied virtue and a faultless name ;

Hear'd thee accuse thy God, of hate eomplaio^

And studied quarrel, and his cruel chain ;

Are these a just man's murmurs ? Mortal know

God reisjns above, our blindness creeps beh)w :

AVhy dost thou wrangle with a Power, whose thront

Will justify its mystic ways to none ?

Trembles his empire, if thy sins increase ?

Or to thy virtue must he owe his peace ?

Thy sins, vain worm, a fellow-worm may wound 5

Thy virtue bless a brother of the ground f

Thou say'st, '^ He gives no midnight song to me.

His healing day I ne'er alas ! shall see/'

Submit, and hope : thy cause before him lies,

As yet unchasten'd for his stout replies,

Nor lightly chasten'd Job exalts his tone,

Lo(juacious trifier with vainglory blown.

CHAR X.

SEC. I — «5n air of sad solemnity is diffused over the.
principal part of this chapter^ in a train of gloomy
ideas, rising successively in a mind like Job^s^frorii
the reflections of his friends. — proceeds in exhib-
iting the deplorable condition of man in thegrav^?
and supplicates relief from the Mmighty.

Frail native of the womb, his age a span,
Fiird full of trouble, is the life of man;
A tender flow'ret gather'd in its prime ;
A shadow gliding o'er the plain of time.
Does this weak thing employ thy jealous eye ?
Its faults the business of thy bar supply?

86

Proirt a foul spring can limpid waters run ?
Lives there a man from failings pure ? not one.
His date is shortened, and his term assigned.
The bond unpassable by thee defin'd:
Yield him some respite ; turn, O turn away,
And leave this hireling to enjov his day.
A tree which falls beneath the wounding steel,
Hopes a new growth the cruel wound to heal:
Yeaj though its sapless bole with age decay.
The roots half mould'ring in the unwater'd clay;
Touch'd by the vital stream its buds around,
Like a young plantjwith flow'rs and fruitage crown'd.
But man expir'd, what latent powers restore ?
Man disappears, and who beholds him more ?
The pool its water loses, and the stream
Dries to a desert, in the scorching beam 5
So man is lost : in dust supine he lies.
Nor, till the spheres forget to wheel, shall rise :
While day and night their beauteous order keep.
Death binds him fast in ever-during sleep.
The sun doth sei : the sun doth rise again,
The day doth close ; the day doth break agaiti ;
Once sit our smw, again it riseth never,
Once close our day of life, it's night for ever.

hide me, screen me, in sepulchral shade,
Till this fierce tempest of thy wrath be laid :
Set me a season, when with accent mild,
Thy voice shall waken thy remember'd child.
But shall a carcass rotted in the tomb.
Quicken and flourish with a second bloom ?
Patient of life, throughout my suflF'ring state,

1 would that blissful renovation wait.

O haste, arraign me. my warm pleading hear 5
And with a father's heart incline thy ear.

87

All ! too serere, observant of my ways,
Thy mem'ry numbers every step that strays :
Ail annail'd in thy rolls, beneath thy seal,
My sins are treasur'd and thy frown 1 feel.

CHAP. XL

Contains speeches collected principally from Bildad, g_
representing in a lofty strain^ the terrible Majesty^ T^i
supreme dominion^ and infinite perfections of the
Deity, Sfc.

BiLDAD again replies: To dictate law
High on a throne supreme, to hold in awe
Superior worlds, and order to maintain
Through bonudless regions of etherial reign,
BcioMgs to God. What num'«ers ean define
His winged arniie? which aroun»l him shine P
Does not hi* glory fill the realms of day,
And each bright seraph glitter with his ray?
To this grand Being shall a mortal tongue
Audacious say, " thy prorvidence is wrong,
^ My ways are equal ?" shall a thing of dust
Assume the lofty attribute of just?
Before his blaze the moon abashM retires 5
Before his blaze fade all the starry fires :
He reigns supreme above the lofty sky,
Where is the sovereign who with him may vie?
Who gave the sceptre, and his «teps ti'ersees ?
Who dares pronounce, "unjust are thy decrees ?*'
Sapience and pow*r to God alone belong ;
Wise are his counsels, and his arm is strong:
He overturns ; what hand erects again ?
He binds i who bursts his adamantine chain f

88

He i^liecks the waters ; all is desert roimd,
He sends them out ; they desolate the grouad.
Refin-d by him the wat'ry atoms rise,
RijD into elouds, and flow along the skies :
And thenee distilling in benignant rain,
Swell the brown harvest of the shouting swain.
What lofty genius can the scene unfotd,
When his dark tent of vapours is unroll d f
About their king aerial clangors sound,
Thick burstings flames spread terribly around.
Tempestuous winds th' aff^rigbted ocean sweep.
And from its bed upheave the roaring deep.
These are hi« servants % these for wiser end%
To feast the nations, or afflict, he sends ;
These meteors his judicial will perform.
Bless in the shovv'r, and punish in the storm.
God holds a flaming dart within his hands.
Forbids its flight where'er a suppliant stands:
But hurls the forked vengeance at the proud,
And deep mouth'd thunder speaks his wrath aloud.
Ev'n while 1 paint this dreadful scene, I start^
My bosom can scarce hold its panting heart.
Hark ! tremble ; murmurs in the distant air,
Whisper of God, his awful way prepare :
He fires the heav'ns earth to her utmost shores
FeeU the broad flashes, now his thunder roars ;
His voice exalted with majestic sound,
Augment its terror through the vaulted ground :
We hear, we shudder, but in vain inquire
How form'd his voice, and how inflam'd his fire.
Great is the thund'ring God, and great his deeds^
Nor less his work our loftiest thought exceeds.
When he commands ; ^' descend my fleecy snowp
^* On the sown fields thy rich manure bestow :

89

•\Heav'ii, ope thy sluices; ye impetuous rains,
^^ Pour down my strength upon the autumnal plains,'-
Seal'd in each rural hand, restrained from toil,
That man may own the sov'reign of the soil :
Then beasts of rapine to the mountains scud,
Couch'd in their dens, and fast awhile from blood.
Sharp wind, no longer in its cells coutroll'd.
Scatters abroad his all-subduing cold :
Keen blows the breath of God, the floods congeal
To solid pavement like refulgent steel :
The burnish'd ether sheds a smarter day,
And not a cloud endures Ihe vivid ray.
The Lord of nature at her helm presides,
Her seasons turn, her circling meteor guides ;
AVhile these and those his high behests obey.
And through earth's peopled climes assert his sway ;
Whether as scourges of a rebel race.
Or sent as tokens of paternal grace.

CHAP. XII.

SE€. I. — Herein Job continues to display^ in « mag-
nijicent description, God^s almighty power and uni-
versal dominion^ <§'c. sec. ii. amtains similar obser-
vations from Elihu^ addressed to Job, of God^s dis^
playing his icondrous works^ — thereby infers the
ignorance of man^ and conchides that the doings
of the Supreme Being are rights and ought to be
adored.

God reigns above, berreath ; yea, far below
The deep abyss, in dark abodes of woe :
Hades and regions of perdition lie
UnveilM and naked, to his flaming eye;
There the old giants feel his vrrath, and there
All wicked -hosts are trembling with despair.
8

90

He o'er the void heaven's lofty arch extends,
His arm the earth's unwieldly mass suspends.
Self pois'd, on nothing. High in liquid air,
His floating aqueducts their burthen bear;
So firm sustainM with such strong pressure bound,
Their pendant waters burst not on the ground.
When empty fountains, and the with'ring plains.
Ask the full bev'rage of nutritious rains ;
The splendours of his sapphire throne he shrouds
With watVy vapours, and a veil of clouds.
Old ocean, bounded by his circling line,
Reveres the limits which his laws define :
And shall revere them, till the rolling light
Fulfil its periods and is lost in night.
Yet, when his anger bids the thunder roar.
And his fierce light'nings flash from shore to shore,
Heav'n's eolumn'd frame with vast amazement quakes.
Wild horror the tumultuous ocean shakes :
Through his great power, with huge commotion rise,
The mountain billows, foaming to the skies.
His dryiag gale refines heaven's troubled scene,
Renew'd in beauty smiles the blue serene ; ^

The billows meekly at his voice subside.
And wrecks of monsters float along the tide.
These are his ways ; in these exterior lines
AVhat wonders open 1 and what glory shines !
Far beyond these, what endless wonders grow !
For who the thunder of his might can know }

SEC. II.

O Job, these wonders weigh ; erect thy mind ;
More M'onders rise in boundless view beliind :
Knows thy weak reason how^ he stains his bow,
When among clouds its seven-fold colours glow r

91

Or knows what balancings those clouds confine ?
Amazing workmanship of art divine !.
How scorching day inflames the breathless air,
When scarce thy limbs their glowing raiment bear
Art thou assisting, while he spreads the mass
Of ether, splendent as the polish'd brass.
Bright as the mirror, as the metal strong ?
O man of courage, aid our falt'ring tongue ;
Coufus'd, we cannot reason in his ear,
Dark clouds descend, the coming God we fear.
Should some bold mouih presume to speak for mine.
Perdition will confound the rash design.
When heav'n'sexpanse the sweeping north wind clears,
And, flaming forth, the golden sun appears,
W^hose optic on the dazzling scene can gaze ?
Haw, then, abide a God's terriflic blaze ?
Whose pow'r lays desolate thi§ earthly ball,
Its roots are sunder'd and its mountains fall.
Its headlong torrents through the vallies sound,
Burst the stone bridges, scoop the solid ground,
Ravage the fields, and with impetuous sway
Hurry the rural hope of toiling man away.
The yellow harvests of the ripen'd year.
And flatted vineyards, one sad waste appear :
The roaring billows threaten earth and sky.
Their wheels along the wat'ry mountains fly.
He form'd Arcturus and his sons to roll
In bright successions round the northern pole :
The vernal Pleiades, his will perform,
And stern Orion wakes his wint'ry storm :
While far below, the southern heav'n proclaims
His glory sparkling in ten thousand flames :
Aw'd by his thund'ring voice, the prince of day
Shuts his broad eye, and veils his golden ray :

92

And night's pale queen, with her attendant fires,

Beneath his signet in eclipse retires.

Earth's utmost bounds are spread before his view^

He with a glance looks all creation through ;

The wild winds balanced, weigh*d the swelling seas.

And gave the vapeur and the cloud decrees ;

When rains should fall, when ruddy lightning fly^

And the big thunder roar along the sky :

He saw the whole, he nnmber'd ev'ry part,

The finished system of Almighty art^

He falls an oak, beneath whose lofty shade

Our ancestors its mighty limbs displayed :

Struck by Jove's bolt it smokes, the sulph'rous flame

Rages with crackling havock o'er its frame:

^ubdu'd by heav'n it sinks, and spreads the ground

With its sear'd trunk and arms a spacious round.

Wonders by him, and mighty deeds are wroughf^

E.yond all numbers, and above all thought.

CHAP. XIII.

Wherein Job sets forth his former felicity in the
sinj2;tilar favour of God to his person^ fcimihj
and fortunes^ and in the veneration paid to him by
his tribe, for the wisdom of his counsels, and the
justice of his administrations. To which he adds
the plextsing hope he had entertained of the perma^
nence of all that happiness^ in rewards of his vir*
tue, namely, constant cheerfulness^ prosperity of
condition, and lustre of character, which seem to be
all comprehended in these beautiful metaphors.

O HAPPY months, and ''^appy days long fled!
When Ood, the guardian of my honour'd hea*h,

93

Shin^d on his favourite with distinguished rays,
Dispelled all darkness, and illumM my ways;
In autumn of my glory, when the pow'r
Trusted his counsels to my hallow'd bow'r :
While yet around me, I my children view'd 5
While yet each morn his visits he renew'd.
While plenty streamed in rivers through my soil,
With milk my vallies, and my rocks with oiL
O high enjoyment ! on the solemn day,
AVhen, with a princely train, I took m^ way
To the full forum through the hailing street,
And in the senate fill'd a sovereign seat.
The youths, abash'd, retir'd ; and bent with age,
In dumb respect up rose the hoary sage :
In ranks of pow'r ; all waiting to receive
The sentence wisdom in my voice should give;
Rapture in every ear the sentence rais'd,
And every eye with look applauding gaz*d :
The fatherless, and friendless, and distrest
Caird me their saviour, while my name they bless'd :
Their blessings crown'd me; for I heal'd their wrongs,
And turn'd the widow's heart to grateful songs.
My robe was justice, justice my tiar 5
Thus was my majesty renown'd afar:
The feeble found in me a powerful stay,
The poor a father, and the blind man day :
The stranger's friend, 1 weigh'd his slighted cause ;
Broke rapine's teeth, and snateh'd him from its jaws.
Thence I too fondly argu'd ; here was rest.
My dying head, in this my lofty nest :
But countless as the sands my days shall run,
Without a cloud to their last setting sun.
8*

94

The noble palm, whose laden boughs on higb.
Suck the sweet moisture of the midnight sky,
Whose op'ning roots imbibe the crystal rill,
Fearless of droughts, shall be my emblem still ;
Still fresh in lustre shall my glory grow,
And new in vigour be my conq'ring bow.
My eloquence shall flow, by all desir'd,
Be lieard with sacred silence and admir'd :
Be hear'd without reply, and joy infuse
Like heav'n descending in nutritious dews :
Crowds shall be eager to devour the strain.
As the chapt soil to drink autumnal rain.
My smile shall transport raise, but check with awe
Lest the bright sunshine should in clouds withdraw.
Their guide in counsel, and in war their chiefs
In wants their father, and their hope in grief.
ril rule my tribe ; and issue my commandg:^
Great as a king amidst his martial bands.

CHAP. XIV.

SEC. I. & II. — Fart of this chapter is a contrast of the
foregoing. It is a moving representation of the mis-
erable disappointment of Job^s hope f the insults he re-
ceivedy the deplorable condition of his body^ and the
despairing state of his mind ; the passions expressed
in it are grief and indignation^ and his language to
his Maker crude and irreverent. The chapter con-
dudes with a fervent wish that his words may be
preserved as a memento to posterity.

Now I'm become the sport of bojs : too base
1 held their fathers with my dogs to place^

99

In midnight sentry o'er my sleeping fold,

A slothful crew in profligacy old.

The howling desert was of late their haunt,

Where, stung with hunger, and with famine gaunt,

They brows'd the bitter weeds, and hard beset,

On broom and berries of the forest fed :

Outlaws and thieves, with outcry chas'd from men.

To flooded vales, and the dark mountain den :

For sheltering thorns in groaning crowds they presi^.

And huddled in vile heaps the thicket bless :

A herd of varlets, vagrants, without name,

Flay'd by the lash the spurious brood of shame.

Now their lew'd doggrel jests my name profane.

They stare aloof as though my breath were bane -

They hoot, they spit, for God hath cast me down :

Hence their contempt of my once dreaded frown.

The spawQ of vice starts up, her shouting throng

Pelt me with saucy malice of the tongue ;

Besiege me, and with foulest scorn invade^

My walks of honour, now bereft of aid,

Like war 5 when roaring through the bursting wali^

It rolls with fury o'er the city's fall.

O the distracting terrors of that hour !

When evil like a whirlwind broke my pow'r ;.

When my bliss vanish'd — like a cloud of rain

Big with false promise to the thirsty plain.

But now my soul in sorrow melts away.

Left unsustain'd in ill's distressing day :

My pain ne'er slumbers, all night long I groan,^

It racks each sinew, and corrodes each bone :

My mantle, by my strong disease possest,

Hath chang'd its form, and girds me like my vest ;

I'm held impure, as one bemir'd all o'er;

My fricpds me scorn, like sweepings of the floor.

96

My breath is almost spent — ray vitals date
Expires — for me the burial chambers wait.
Sarcastic tongues my dying eoueh surround^
Vex my last hours and scoff me to the ground.
Why thus reproach, unfeeling men, how long
Mean you to cut and crush me with your tongue ?
Insults enough I've borne : still lost to shame,
Stubborn defiance to your looks proclaim ?
Be it some error, incident to all
Is mine ; my error on myself must fall.
"Why still accuse me ? and with cruel strife,
Urge my affliction to condemn my life ?
Learn then ; that you, the fatal cause unknown^
Have me pursu'd, and in your toils o'erthrown.
I cry aloud of wrong, no answer gain ;
For justice call, no justice can obtain :

bitter change ! how^ happy I and great I
Till you in ruins laid my glorious state.

SEC. II.

Bright were the visions, once my fancy fram'd^
Of heav'ns unclouded, and of hopes unshamM :
But foul adversity, with sudden might
Blotted those lovely visions from my sights
Since when, my tortures no remission find,
Fire in my veins, and tumult in my mind :

1 mourn, with swelter'd countenance I mourn.
In hotter flames, than hottest suns I burn ^
And among crowds, unable to contain.
Shriek in the anguish of outrageous pain.

In lonesome wastes, where mournful creatures yell.
Where wails the screaming ostrich, let me dwell 5
A skeleton of bones bak'd dry within,
SQarce shaded with a swart and shrivdl'd skin -

My pipe is broken, and my harp ij^ dumb.
Grief with her weeping train to me is come.
And sighs, and plaintive sounds, and funeral dole,
Are now the music of my sadden'd soul.
I leave my hope behind, like some fair tree J

Uptorn by tempests, when its boughs you see >
Rich laden with a blooming progeny. }

My brethren and acquaintance tted afar,
With horror fled, from this afflictive war:
My kindred shun'd me, of my boasted friends
Who now my unremember'd grief attends ?
The strangers whom I shelter'd in my shade,
The maidens who my awful nod obey'd,
Pass me as though unknown, or gaze me o*er,
As some strange thing from some strange distant shor^.
My meanest slave with stupid insult stares,
Deaf to my calls, regardless of my prayers.
Ev'n She, whom wedlock's charities should move,
Nauseates my breath ; the tend'rest notes of love
Unheeding, though conjur'd in mournful straia
By the dear mem'ry of our children slain.
Yea, slav'ry's spawn beneath my table fed,
Push me aside, and flout me to my head.
All who the secrets of my soul possess'd,
All whom affection cherish'd in my breast
Are turn'd against me ; as a wretch impure,
Whom God abominates and men abjure.
Thus left, my bone just starting from within
Through the poor remnant of my tatter'd skin 5
Pity me, pity, let my urgent need, i

Let ancient fiiendship for compassion plead, >
For smitten by tli' immortal arm I bleed. )
Will you (ah why ?) your persecution join
To those I suffer by a hand divine j

98

Insatiate still, still eager to defame
And glut your rancour with my worried name ?
O that, fair written in a faithful scroll,
Time in his archives would my words enroll;
O furrow them in lead ; their letters give
Through endless ages in the rock to live.
This ponder well; hear me, my friends, again,
Or answer make, if answer fit remain,
To just defence I pledge a candid ear.
Full loath to censure ; but o'erjoy'd to clear.
Else give me audience ; and the friendship prize,
Will shew thee w here the path of wisdom lie^.

CHAP. XV.

B£ING A REPLY FROM JOB TO HIS CENSORIOUS
rRIKNDS.

SEC. I. — Prosecutes his arguments by taking a retro-
spect of his past life ; explains with firmness and
perspicuity his motives to action^ and ivith humble
reverence and submission, refers his plea to the wise
Disposer of all events^ ^c. qfc.

Then, Job, give audience ; audience I implore,
Be that your charity; I ask no morei
Indulge me utterance — then insult again,
Shall I of man, censorious man, complain ?
The cruel slanders which my fame defile,
Would justify resentment's sharpest style.
He press'd, and still pursued his conq'ring strains 5
By him, Eternal Potentate, who reigns

99

Above ; who jaJgment in my cause delays.

And wlio my soul inibitlers M'ith his ways.

I swear, that while this bosom shall inhale

The nurture of his animating gale ;

Falsehood and guile shall ne'er employ my tongue

To flatter you, and my own conscience wrong :

To justify your part, my own betray,

Forbid it, Heav'n ! firm to the mortal day,

I'll hold ray virtue, nor abate my zeal

In strong apology and bold appeal :

My heart, which never yet a censure knew,'

From its own voice, disdaiijs reproach from you.

Wicked, Profane — those hateful names bestow

Worse execration, on my deadly foe :

I penetrate your thoughts ; resolv'd in wrong.

Harsh answer still springs forward on your tongue ;

Cease, then ; nor falsities for comforts vend,

Alike to truth unfaithful and your friend

Of whom hast thou harangu'd, whose breath hath cast

Such wond'rous wisdom from your mouths at last ?

Was I unfeeling of another's woe ?

Did not my sorrows with the mourner's flow ?

Did e'er I walk with falsehood ? did my feet

E'er steal to winding paths of base deceit?

Let God, who knows me upright from my youth,

Weigh me in his impartial scale of truth.

If, fir'd by wedded charms, the fav'ring hour

I watch'd in ambush, at my neighbour's bo w'r;

May the poor captive's lot my wife disgrace.

Mean tasks by day, by night a forc'd embrace :

For -(is a crime, ye judges, which should share

The sharpest vengeance of the sword you bear:

For 'tis a flame, whose furious wrath would shoot

Through all my substance and devour the root.

100

if, when I saw some glitfring prize display'd.

My eyes desir'd it, and my heart obey'd ;

And, (uining from the path where justice stands.

The tempting tribe defii*d my venal hand 5

Perish my crops I or let my harvest feed

The wasteful riots of an alien breed.

If I despis'd my slave, controlling right

By will imperious and a master's might ;

How shall I face the righteous Judge uf all,

Or how defend me at his dreaded call ?

Was no% our Maker one ; and one our frame ?

Was not the womb his mould ; and mine the same ?

If at an orphan's head I shook my hand,

Secure the hall of judgment to command 5

That arm be shattered, let my shoulder ball

Disjointed from its guilty mortise fall:

I fear'd destruction ; could my pow'r contend

With pow'r almighty, the wrong'd orphan's friend ?

Its rightful owner if my land bemoan,

Held in hard bondage if its furrows groan :

If the defrauded peasant cursM my field,'

Or blood of innocence my title seal'd,

May brambles for a harvest choke the soil.

And weeds unwholesome, mock the ploughman's toil t

If, when misfortune smote my deadly foe,

I smil'd in secret, and enjoy'd his woe 4

I, who forbade my tongue the spiteful word,

And e'en in thought, revengeful wish abhorr'd —

Did I repulse the lowly, bending poor ?

Or went the widow weeping from my door ?

Have I e'fer feasted with a churlish pride

Alone, without an orphan at my side ?

Humane affection from the womb I drew,

And with my growth the tender passion grew :

101

Wlien'er a naked wrefcli before me pass'd,

His starv'd limbs shivering in the wintry blaet ;

Has the warm life, new bounding in his veins,

Not bless'd the woolly riches of my plains ?

If my house attest not ; " When he dinM,

'^ Who unreplenish'd from his table pin-d ?*'

^^y gate flew open at the pilgrim's voice,

Beneath my roof 1 bade his heart rejoice.

If I e'er whisper'd to the precious dust,

Be thou my idol, thou my sovereign trust,

Or gloried in the pow'r vast wealth bestows,

My pulse high beating as my treasure rose—

If on the rising sun, or silver moon

Majestic walking to her starry noon,

I look'd ; and in the folly of my soul,

My palm the kiss of silent homage stole ;

This, O my Judge, w ere treason ; this denies

Thy sole dominion in the earth and skies.

If my defence, like Adam's, is but art,

WHiik, unconfest, guilt rankles in my heart;

With vengeance let th' assembled clans pursue

My name 5 and exilM from the public view,

In lonely silence may I veil my head,

O'erwhelm'd with terror and with shame o'erspread J

\Vho now an umpire in my cause will find,

Behold my plea, with my own signet sign'd 5

Let God vouchsafe his answer ; or indite,

And the just roll of my oifences write:

Th' accusing bill; upon my shoulders borne,

Or as a crown about my temples worn,

I'll show 5 and princely in the noble strife.

To the great Plaintiff I'll display my life.

9

i02

CHAP. XVI.

The last chapter, Job was in high spirits triumphing
in the goodness of his cause^ Sfc. The present
chapter contains ElihiCs address to his seniors^ dis-
approving Job's justification of himself <§*c. —
blames them for theh^aiture in the dispute, and ob-
serves the irresistible impulse he labored under to
give his thoughts vent, Sfc.

Job ended his defence — They ceas'd reply-
He stood absolv'd in his own partial eye.
A youth attentive sat, Elihu nam'd,
Against them all with holy zeal inflam'd :
'Gainst him, who full of self-exalting praise,
Above his Maker's justified his ways ;
Them, who, inglorious, left this high dispute;
Fierce to accuse, but feeble to confute.
Silent he was, while Job his cause displayed 5
This honour to respected age he paid ;
At length, none answ'ring such a vain defence,
Ardent he rose, and gave his modest sense.
Fathers, my youth thus long, through bashful fear^
Refrain'd to reason in your aged ear:
Rt^ply, I thought, beseem'd the head of snow,
And wisdom's voice from ancient lips should flow*
But wisdom is a gift, the breath divine
Moves on the soul, and calls the light to shine :
The fam'd for wisdom are not always wise.
Nor in grey locks the power of judgment lies.
Hear, then, my sense ; I waited, while you sought ;
For answers, and exhausted all your thought:
Yea, still I wait, attentive — but I find
Nor Job confuted, nor reply designed :
Say not ; •• 'Tis wisdom, tliat we leave to God
''' To humble this stiflf sinner with his rod — **

103

His words unaini'd at me, shall meet reply,
Unlike to yours; a differing path 1*11 try.
His words chastises some offence of thine;
Scorn oV submission be thy choice, not mine :
Reveal your thoughts. Ye men of prudence, speak :
Are not Job's answers libertine and weak?
Again (I counsel) let as try their sense ;
Try to the utmost; for his first oiTence
Is grown rebellion ; petulent to God,
This babbler triumphs, and insults his rod ;
Amaz'd, confus'd, they sH ; bereav'd of tongue-—
Patient of this delay, I've waited long —
'Dumb they remain — not one essays to speak —
My meaner voice must, must the silence break;
My soul, so deeply and so long attest,
Is crowded full, and labours for a vent 5
My thoughts ferment like wine ; restraint is vain— -
Pierce, pierce the vessel, or 'twill burst in twain •
My lips shall ease me, shall effuse abroad
This honest heart by no man's person aw'd ^
Unskiird in courtly titles, plain and free
My phrase, expect no soothing arts from me;
Lest he, who gives my heaving lungs to breathe,
That instant hurl me to the shades beneath.

CHAP. XVIL

Contains further remarks of Elihu to Job, tendering
his advice, — and shews the folly and wickedness of
tyranny and oppression^ ^c.

Therefore attend, while I my thoughts reveal,
Just to the ways of God Y\\ none conceal :
Persist to credit what your eyes attest,
Why trifle you in proving things confest ?

104

O Job. tlie granileur of his works admire,
Hjniii'vl in loud anthems by the righteous choir:
Aloft presented to all mortal eyes,
Above all mortal thought his wonders rise.
Curb then thy will, his wrath already burns 5
Beware its fury, which no ransom turns:
Ang<3r, despising all the wealth of kings,
And all the force that wide dominion brings.
AVish not that dismal night, whieh sweeps away
The race of mortals from the walks of day.
There are, 1 yield, some dire examples giv^),
Some thoughtless mortals of the frown of heav'ii^
Some Joffy tyrants, from whose fatal bed
A race increasing for the sword is bred :
Vagrant and starv ing see the downward line ;
See tije last thin remains their breath resign,
Without a solemn dirge, without a bier,
Without a grave, without a widow's tear.
Where lies the silver heaps, and purple dies.
The proud progenitor's extorted prize:
Amass'd as dust.^ A worthier lineage wears
The robes of purple, and the silver heirs.
Wretch ! as a moth, that ravages the looms,
Weaves her frail bowV, and as she weaves consumes %
Or as the hireling warder of the vines,
His green booth, lodging of a summer twines 5
With like vain toil, for a like fleeting date.
He builds his grandeur, and enjoys his state :
Or else God's pow'r commissions fierce disease.
Th' oppressor in his lusty bloom to seize.
Gast on his bed, he groans in grinding pain^
While raging fever boils in every vein :
His flesh consumes away, the bones within.
Transparent starting through his shrivePd skin t
His soul now trembles on the verge of fate,
And death'* dread angels for the signal wait.

105

If then some delej^afe of heav'n, renown'J
For sucred skill, (rare gift on human ground,).
The siok his duty, shews the fav'ring Power,
Salvation wills: — " Seek health to yonder bowV^
^' Contrition h:ith appeasM my wrath 5 go, save
'' The penitent, and disappoint the grave/'

CHAP. XVlil.

Contains further observations from Elihu to Job, in
vindication of the ivays of God to man, solicits
his candid attention by several engaging motives^
Sfc, Sfc.

Indulge me still; Elihu spake again^
And thus address'd the melancholy man.
H^?ar me once more ; thus far I will re«iove
Injustice from the seepter'd powder abBve ;
Whose iretributions with exactest plan.
Answer to virtue and to vice in man,
I'll justify my Maker without art,
Truth I explore and faithful I impart,
God injures none ; his independent might
Disdains to bend th' eternal rule of right.
Or is he viceroy of this puny ball ?
Who, then, the founder of the world's vast all r
Were God a tyrant, would he not resume
His quickening spirit ? terrible the doom !
Which in a moment would unpeople earth,
And into dust resolve all fleshly birth.
But he, who reigns the highest of the high,
Sees prince and peasant with impartial eye.
Maker of both ! His equal judgments sweep
An impious city, in the midnight sleep 5

106

All hnman ways are open to bis view,
Each winding path his critic eyes pursue ;
Nor dark disguise, nor e'en the central shade^
Can hide the guilty, or his reach evade:
Nor will he punish, save the foul misdeed,
Nor will his arm in punishing exceed.
He, without process, hurls a tyrant down,
And to a foreign line translates his crown.
For blind and impious those misruIM : the groan
Of sifff'ring innocence assaiPd his throne ;
He heard it, ever to affliction's cry
His ear is open and his vengeance nigh.
When on a man or people he bestows
His peace, what powT can trouble their repose ?
And when he dooms to ruin and the grave
A people or a man, what power can save ?
An equal Judge, no saviour of th' unjust,
Upraises weeping virtue from its dust.
'Tis fitting, surely, unto God to say :
^* O spare the humble, for, behold, I pray :
" My blindness heal, my latent sin explore,
^' In aught offending, I'll oflfend no more :*'
Learn, Job, that misery ever follows sin,
From liuman errors human ills begin.
Th' Almighty mind, is all perfection great ;
Above low envy and capricious hate,
"When erring mortals in his bounds he holds,
Their ear he touches, and their sins unfolds;
Hon. hies their pride, their self-deception breaks*
And slumb'ring conscience to its charge awakesi
If to his high command their ear they bow,
And faithful keep the penitential vow,
Sweet days ensue, bright is their evening scene,
And death comes late, and with a look serene.
Cease, then, thy murmurs, stifle all thy sighs:
^Assur'd thy evils from thy guilt arisen

107

CHAP. XIX

Jobf upon conviction^ humbles himself for many rash
eocpressionsj which he had uttered^ while under the
afflicting hand of providence^ and makes penitentuil
ax;knowledgments.

Job spake again, and thus submissive cried,

God, 'tis thine to hdmble human pride ;
Thine is the power Almighty, thine the throne
Whose counsels are controllable by none*

" Who's he, that with impenetrable skill

^' Plans the high purpose of thy sovereign will r"

Bhall man instruct in his presuming school,

The Lord of heav'n, this petty orb to rule ?

Convinc'd, I censur'd what the wise adoi:'d,

Wonders which far above my reason soar'd.

Indulge my pray V, a gracious ear incline,

" My part the learner's, to instruct me thine :"

Before I knew thee by the ear alone ;

By vision now, and in thy glory known.

Lo, self-detesting in the dust I lie.

And mourning breathe the penitential sigh.

On me, a sinner, thy rebuke was laid,

Light was the chastening with the trespass weigh'd ;

Snatch'd from the gaping pit unworthy I,

Live, and again salute tiie cheering sky.

My flesh, replenished with young juices, grows,

And with a second prime my aspect glows.

Now in the assembly of the just I stand,

Before thine altar, with uplifted hand,

May gratitude inspire my heart to praise,

'^ To sing thy mercy, and adore thy ways :

In all thy works the great paternal mind

Oft manifests thy care of human kind ;

And calls thy oifjipring when their footsteps stray.^

From shades of death, to live beneath thy ray.

Come, resignation ! hence my lips I close,

And humble silence on my tongue impose :

Too oft I spoke, too rashly spoke before

1 will not answer, or offend thee more.*'

108

CHAP. XX.

Jiis friends reproved for their uncharitable censures
in managing the controversy with him^ concerning
the course of Divine Trovidence ; they are directed
ivhat sacrifices to make, as an atonement for their
offence : His restoration to a state of superior pros-
perity to what he enjoyed before his calamitous
misfortunes^ ^c.

The cloud now disappearM. But when the sun
Hud a few more diurnal stages run,
God call'd to Eliphaz : Displeas'd I heard
What thou and thy associates have averr'd,
Erroneous, of my ways; not thus offend
The reas'nini^s of your rashly-censur'd friend.
My servant Job. Go, let sev'n heifers bleed,
Sev'n rams in social sacrifice succeed :
My servant Job, while yet your victims burn,
Shall witli atoning pray'r my vengeance turn :
Him 1 accept ; your folly, else, shall rue
Those falsehoods which my servant Job o'erthrew.
They all obeyed, and sought the Pow'r divine;
The Pow'r, appeas'd, displayed the fav'ring sign.
Then God begain the mourner to restore,
And gave, and doubled what he gave before*
His brethren, sisters, friends, a cheerful band,
With golden gifts in each saluting hand,
Crowded his house, on the rich feast regal'd,
CondoFd his sorrows, his deliverance haiPd.
Job now beyond his former blessings blest,
Numbered twice o'er the wealth he first possessM :
Sev'n sons his patriarchal sway rever'd,
His household cares three lovely daughters cheered,
DistinguishVl each, by some expressive name,
All grae'd with beauty of unrivall'd fame:
And each beyond a daughter's dowry shar'd,
For each the portion of a brother heir'd.
Twice seventy years, from this bright era, shed
Health and pure joys upon his favour'd head :
His children's children flourish'd at his side,
Then^ full of days, in hoary peace he died.

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