by these faithful wounds of a friend, than to steel the heart against them, and die impenitent: to die, and feel the arrows of the Lord stick fast in the soul, and open wounds that will be bleeding and painful for ever!

Lastly, if we turn our thoughts from Ahab to Jehoshaphat, we behold in him an instance of the providence of the Almighty, over his faithful

servants.

When the battle was begun, the Syrians, mistaking him for the king of Israel, made a furious attack upon him; and he was near falling a sacrifice to the mistake. But the righteous is delivered out of all his trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead. The Syrians perceived their error, and withdrew. But in the heat and confusion of battle, who opened their eyes to make the discovery at that critical instant; and, as soon as it was made, disposed their hearts to act as they did? Jehoshaphat, though not the very man they most wished to destroy, was still an enemy, and a leader of the adversary's forces: and to kill such an one, was a natural object of revenge, and a means of victory. They saw, that they had an advantage over him; his own arm, and his friends around him, being unable to defend him. Whence, then, came it to pass, that "when the captains of the chariots perceived

that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him?" The Scripture tells us how it came to pass. Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.” So much did the prayer of a righteous man avail him, on the edge of destruction.*

But if we hope to be heard, for others or ourselves, let us consider, what manner of persons we ought to be, that our petitions may be accepted. Jehoshaphat was heard, in that he

*This noble discourse was written during the period of the late King's illness; and preached at Malpas, Dec. 7. 1788. The following paragraph, omitted from the body of the sermon, as not suited for the domestic use of a family, is too just, and too appropriate to the author's original purpose, to be altogether discarded; nor, probably, will a single reader wish to eject it from its present place.-EDITOR.

We, of this nation, have many years been blessed with a sovereign over us, not less virtuous and religious than Jehoshaphat. If he is now visited with a grievous malady, his former life and conversation give us grounds to hope, that the Almighty will, in mercy, hear his devout prayers made to him in the intervals of his illness, and seconded by the fervent supplications of his people, and grant him a perfect recovery. If it is the duty of Christians, to make prayers and intercessions for their rulers, under every sort of government, much more are we bound to supplicate Heaven for a King, under whose just and mild reign we have been enabled, and by whose example we have been encouraged, to lead our lives in all godliness and honesty.

had feared with a religious fear, throughout the course of his life. But if he had then first thought of calling upon God, when such danger encompassed him as there were no human means of escaping, we have no authority of Holy Scripture to suppose, that he would have been heard and rescued. Its declarations are of an opposite kind. For of the ungodly, saith God, “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hands, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me." Such may be the proceedings of Divine Justice, in the course of this life, towards those who live without God in the world: but such, it is to be feared, they will sadly and fatally find them to be, at the hour of death. In that distress and anguish, it will be too late to cry for mercy, when it is the time of judgment. They will be left to eat of the fruit of their own way, and to be filled with their own devices, in outer darkness.

Let it, therefore, be our first care, to have such an habitual and constant preparation of

heart and life, that, through the mercies of God in his beloved Son, our blessed Mediator and Advocate, we may come boldly to the throne of grace, and obtain mercy; and find in time of need.

grace to help

106

DISCOURSE IX.

JONAH, i. 6.

WHAT MEANEST THOU, O SLEEPER? ARISE, CALL UPON THY GOD, IF SO BE THAT GOD WILL THINK UPON US, THAT WE PERISH NOT.

My design in chusing this text, is to make a few plain and practical observations upon the history of the prophet Jonah; and chiefly on that part of his history, to which the words of the text relate.

Jonah had been commanded by God, to go and warn the people of Nineveh of the destruction that was hanging over them, and ready to fall upon their heads, on account of the wickedness that abounded throughout their great and populous city. But the rebellious prophet was not willing to carry the divine message; he endeavoured, therefore, to escape from his employment, and to flee, as he expresses it, from