To this we answer, that God takes, within his plan, all events-our charities, as well as his own means of correction. We, as well as all other parts of nature, are his inftruments, and may be so for any thing we know, in mitigating those chastifements, which he may have carried as far as he intends.

Befides, as God hath given us bowels of compaffion, and ordered us to exercise them towards our brethren, it is not our parts to enquire how fuch offices unite, or interfere with God Almighty's plans, of which we are wholly ignorant. Of this we may be fure, that God Almighty's plans can never be injured by any thing, that he orders us to do.

Farther ftill, we fee how much this intercourse of benevolence promotes the general interests of virtue; and this affords a reason for God's enjoining it. He corrects one man by affliction; and he tries the virtue of another by enjoining him to relieve it.

LII.

Ifaac went out to meditate in the field at even-tide.Genefis, xxiv. 63.

THE hiftory of the patriarchs is so very concise, that we know little of their private lives. What we have, is commonly fimple, and inftructive. The circumstance mentioned in the text, that Ifaac went out at even-tide, to meditate, was probably his constant practice after the business of the day. The account is fhort; but it gives us a strong idea of his character. No man, but a good man, would think of concluding his day in this religious manner.

I fhall pursue the instruction given us by the holy patriarch, and fhew you first, what are the proper fubjects of religious meditation-and secondly, what are the advantages of it.

What the Subject of Ifaac's meditation was, we are not told. One great channel of it, we may fuppofe, was the holy promife made to his father, that in his feed all the nations of the earth fhould

be

be bleffed. And tho' that promise had not yet been renewed, he could not but conclude himself to be the medium, through which it was to pass to mankind. The prophecy of bruifing the ferpent's head, was a tradition ftill recent in the world; and this, joined to the rite of facrifice, especially the myfterious event of that kind, in which he himself had been fo nearly concerned, could not but lead his thoughts to fome idea of an atonement for fin, -Then again God's providence in protecting, and enriching his father in a foreign land, must be a grateful theme of meditation; and affift in leading his mind still forward in the belief that his family was, in fome way, intended by God as a bleffing to mankind.—The wonderful event too of the deluge, ftill fresh in the memory of mankind, and pointed out by various monuments, at that time existing, could not but be an awful subject of his frequent meditation.-The works of God likewife were always before him; and whether he turned his eyes to the heavens above, or to the earth beneath, he could never want a subject for religious contemplation.

But, whatever were the fubjects of Ifaac's meditation, ours are ftill enlarged. The works of creation are greatly more opened to us, than they

were

were to him. By the affiftance of art, we fee wonders in the heavens, and in the earth-in God's greatest, as well as in his minutest works, which were not known in ancient times: and the enquiries of fagacious men are daily laying open new discoveries. All these things furnish the most pleasing matter for contemplation. To trace the infinite wisdom, and contrivance of the Almighty in his works, as far as we can, is one of the most rational contemplations, that can employ the wit of man. From the beauties of this world we are led to conceive the glories of the next.Then again, the great work of redemption, which the patriarch only faw in a few fhadowy types, and obfcure predictions, has been now compleated. Its grand evidences from prophecies-from miracles -from the authenticity of fcripture, and all its holy doctrines-afford the most interesting subjects for meditation,-The feveral parts too of this wonderful revelation-the characters it difplaysthe truths it difcovers--the affiftances it offersthe fanctions it holds out-and the facraments it. enjoins-are all subjects, which can never be exhaufted. We confider next the advantages of religious meditation.

VOL. II.

A a

It

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It may be a question, how far knowledge contri butes to practice. They are certainly derived from different fources-one from the head-the other from the heart. And inded the ftudious, and lettered man, I believe, generally finds a difficulty in transferring his ideas from one to the other. This is certain however, that unless he do, his ftudies are of little use to himself, of whatever ufe they may be to others. Every one of the fubjects I have mentioned for religious meditation, and almoft every other, may be confidered both as scientific, and as practical. The works of creation for instance, in all their various parts, afford the nobleft field for fcientific enquiry: but if that enquiry do not lead us to praise the great Creator in his works-to humble ourselves before him-and to make the will of this awful Sovereign of the world our conftant guide; our enquiries, however acute, and philofophical, will end in little advantage to ourselves. Thus again, with regard to the redemption of man -the evidences of the gofpel-the objections made to it-and every other part, which comes within the compass of human reafon to examine, are all matters of science and enquiry. But whoever in meditating upon them, refts on the enquiry, with

out