DISC. events may render him happy who is now IV. miferable. The veffel, which is ftranded, may yet be borne up on the waters; may put out again to fea, and be blessed with a profperous voyage. Nor is the fea more wonderful in itself, than it is beneficial to mankind. From it's furface vapours are continually arifing, drawn upwards by the heat of the fun, which, by degrees formed into clouds, drop fatnefs on our fields and gardens, caufing even the wilderness to smile, and the vallies, covered over with corn, to laugh and fing. Thus the prayers of the faithful fervants of God, daily afcending from all parts of the earth, return in large effufions of grace and bleffing from heaven. But we are indebted to the ocean not only for the vapours fent up from it's furface, but likewife for many fprings, which have their origin from the great deep beneath, with which the fea communicates, Thefe, arifing IV. in vapour through the lower parts of the DIS C. earth, break forth and iffue in ftreams, many of which joined form rivers, and fo go back again to the place from whence they came; as the blood, in the human body, flows, in streams from the heart, through the arte-. ries, and returns to it again, in rivers, by the veins, which grow larger as they approach, and are about to empty themselves into the great refervoir. In the greater as well as the leffer world, there is a constant circulation maintained. The income is proportioned to the expence, and nothing is wafted. All rivers, faith Solomon, run to the fea, yet the fea is not full, or, does not overflow; to the place from whence the rivers come, thither do they return again; but not till, by their innumerable turnings and windings, they have refreshed and enriched large tracts of country, in their paffage. So divine grace fprings up in the heart of a Chriftian man, as water doth in a fountain, supplied from an invifible and inexhaustible ftorehouse. It flows forth in his words and actions, doing good to all around DISC. around it in it's courfe, and is finally fwal IV. lowed Barren and defolate as the fea appears to those who only look upon it, and search not into it, yet within it's bofom are contained creatures, exceeding in number those that walk and creep upon the land; insomuch that in the facred language, they have their name from a word which fignifies to multiply. The ingenuity and industry of man have found means to draw forth these inhabitants of the waters from their deepest receffes. And while they afford to fome an agreeable variety of wholefome food, they fupport multitudes of others, whose employment it is to procure them, an employment healthy, honeft; carried on in peace and quietnefs; without tumult, noise, ftrife, and bloodshed; affording to those who are engaged in it, continual opportunities of beholding the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. Perfons of this occupation, men of plain fenfe and good hearts, were IV. were chosen by our bleffed Lord, to preach DISC. the word of life to the nations, to caft abroad the evangelical net, and to become, as he himself expreffes it, Fishers of men. By the invention of fhipping, and the art of navigation, the sea is made in reality to join those nations, which it appears to divide; the communication being often far more easy and expeditious by water, than it would have been by land. The riches of both the Indies are wafted to our fhores; we fit at home, and feast upon the productions of every country under heaven; while the fuperfluity of our own commodities is difpofed of, to advantage, abroad. A friendly intercourfe is opened between the most distant lands. Savages are humanized, and become proficients in the arts and sciences. The gospel is preached among them, and the light of truth made to shine upon those who fate in darkness and the shadow of death. They are taught the art of arts, and the science of fciences; the art of holy living, and the science of falvation. A large veffel, DISC. veffel, with all it's conveniences, conftructed IV. in fuch a manner as to go upon the surface of the water, and to brave the fury of winds and waves, is, perhaps, the masterpiece of human contrivance. And the pfalmist, when contemplating the wonders of the ocean, cries out in admiration, as if placed in a fituation like this of oursThere go the ships. But while we meditate upon the advantages accruing to mankind from a part of the creation, which, at first fight, might seem incapable of affording any, let us not be unmindful of the circumstance which brings us now together, and gives occafion to this discourse. Let the medicinal powers and falutary virtues with which the Almighty hath endued the waters of the sea, be always had in remembrance by those who have happily experienced them. Let praise and glory be rendered to the great Physician, who hath made the ocean a magnificent mineral bath, in which, as formerly in the pool of Bethesda, the weak become strong, and |