folation if we confider that he will lay no more upon us than we shall be able to bear, and will fuffer no affliction to be of longer continuance than fhall be abfolutely neceffary. And thus refting upon his good word, we may wait his pleasure for our complete deliverance out of all our troubles. The ends which God has in view in caufing his children to bear the cross; these are generally his own glory, our own good and the benefit that will refult to others from our example; all which fhould induce us to bear them patiently, or rather to rejoice, as the Apoftle advises, "when we fall into divers temptations." Paul and Silas in the prison fang praises to God, and we read that Paul took pleafure in reproaches, and diftreffes for Chrift's fake. In all which it cannot be doubted but that the chief caufe of their rejoicing in affliction was the confideration that their fufferings were conducive to God's glory and the good of his people, who, feeing their patience, and the fupport they received from above, were greatly confirmed in the truth, encouraged to make an open profeffion, and fuffer for righteoufnefs fake. But nothing can more powerfully prevail on our frail natures to drink of the unpleafant cup of affliction, than the certainty of the benefit that we ourselves fhall receive from it. By afflictions trial is made of our ftrength and weaknefs, our faith and patience in bearing them, and the love we have to God who fends them. The Scripture reprefents this by the trial which fire makes on gold and filver, Speaking of the remnant of his people, who fhould be preferved from the general deftruction, the Lord faith, "I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as filver is refined, and try them as gold is tried." the effect whereof follows, "they fhall call upon my name, and I will hear them, I will fay, It is my people, and they fhall fay, The Lord is my God." Thus affliction refines them from the drofs of fin, difcovers the reality of grace, and begets in their hearts the full affurance of faith. Afflictions may likewife be fitly compared to medicines, for fo indeed they are to all the children of God, fovereign means to cure their fpiritual difeafes, inafmuch as they conftrain them to hate their fins, and to be folicitous for pardoning mercy and grace to fubdue them in time to come. When the Apostle fays, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpofe," afflictions must be included; but these can only produce this effect, by purging them from fin, which is the fole caufe of all our mifery. In all our troubles our eye fhould constantly be fixed on the help that God has promifed us in them, and the happy iffue we shall one day experience. We feel our great weaknefs in bearing the crofs, are apt to be full of distrust-think that God will not come with his promised affiftance, at least at the time that we expect. The Lord well acquainted with this frailty of his children, has most plentifully provided fufficient encouragement, made them many exceeding great and precious promifes to be with them in all their tribulations, to fuccour them in all extremities, declaring that they fhall never perish, but that each hereafter fhall have caufe to fay, "It was good for me that I was afflicted." A. B. REMARKABLE PROVIDENCE. SINGULAR and remarkable providence happened at A the houfe of Mr. John Gofs, in Lemon Lane, Mand field, Nottinghamshire, in the night between the 2d and 3d days of April, 1794. Mr. G. and his family, which confifts of ten perfons, having committed themfelves to the divine protection, went to bed, and fell into a found fleep. Between twelve and one o'clock he awoke, and was remarkably comfortable in his mind, at the thought of awaking in life, and health, and fafety, and furrounded with fo many temporal bleffings as himfelf and family then enjoyed. His mind was greatly elevated with meditations on fpiritual and divine things, and firmly flaid upon his God and Saviour: All within was ferene and quiet. After a few minutes had elapfed, he thought fomething made a noife, like the falling of fand upon the tester of the bed, which was probably fome of the plaiftering from the ceiling of the room. He next heard a fudden crafh; on which he inftantly arofe, and called to his wife, who was then faft afleep by his fide: She immediately arofe. A daughter, who was about feven years of age, and who was also faft afleep in the fame bed, Mr. G. took in his arms; and just as they had reached the chamber-door, he looked back, and, to his very great aftonishment, found the bedstead was gone. It had fallen through the floor of the room down to the ground, a distance of between five and fix yards; and was turned upfide down, and almoft buried in the ruins of that part of the house which fell. This happened in lefs time than a minute from their quitting the bed. In the room above was another bed, whereon a ferious youth lay, alfo faft afleep. He being awakened by the noife of the family's rifing in fuch a hurry and confufion, and looking up, beheld the stars fhining. Upon this he immediately jumped out of bed. He had no time to reflect on the caufe of fo ftrange and fudden a furprife, for his bedftead was hanging juft up on a poize two yards above where the other had ftood, and was prevented from falling near eight yards, only by a basket which had been put under the bed, and which kept the bed's foot from fliding. It is probable that the bed had hung in that dangerous fituation for fome time before the youth awoke. The gable end of the houfe against which the two bedsteds had stood, had entirely fallen to the ground. The reason of this fudden and alarming catastrophe was this: The owner of the house had been finking the ground at a little distance, to lay a foundation for another, which he is now erecting, and as it now appears, had not left a fufficient space of ground to fupport the foundation of that which fell. Besides, on the day preceding this calamity, a heavy and almost inceffant rain had fo foftened and loofened the ground as to haften the fall. Such an alarming occurrence furprifed most of the people in the town, and conftrained them to acknowledge that this was a very great and fingular providence. Though feveral pieces of Mr. G.'s furniture were almoft buried in the ruins, they were dug out without fuftaining much damage. When he faw that all his family was fafe (for they all ran down ftairs in their confufion without dreffing themfelves), he said, "that his heart felt fuch a fenfation of gratitude and joy, on account of this interpofition of divine Providence, that if all his furniture had been loft, he thought he could have borne it with patience and refignation, or if he had received all the riches in the world, they could not have given him fuch heartfelt fatisfaction." To acknowledge and adore the divine Providence is congenial to the Chriftian character; and efpecially as all our bleffings, temporal and fpiritual, flow to us in that channel. Our fafety by day or night depends upon the Lord's divine protection, and when any thing fingular happens, it is our duty witli humility and gratiude to publifh it. "Dangers ftand thick through all the ground, To hurry mortals home." We know not what a night, an hour, a minute or a moment, may bring forth. Death ftands ready at the door to take away our lives. There are many avenues through which we may be called from time, with all its powerful and attractive. connexions, into eternity. VOL. I. LI "We fhould fufpect fome danger nigh, It has been already remarked that Mr. G. previously to going to reft, had, according to his ufual cuftom, committed himfelf and his family to God his Saviour by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. He asked for protection and fafety through the enfuing night, and the Lord attended thereto, and perhaps this falvation was wrought in anfwer to prayer: "Prayer is appointed to convey The bleffings God intends to give; Long as they live fhould Chriftians pray, Whatever those who deny both God and his providence may think of fuch an occurrence as that we have related, let all who profefs the religion of Jefus, acknowledge, admire and adore the Lord in his wife, merciful and providential difplays towards them. "For it is not in man that walketh to direct his fteps, and a good man's ways are ordered by the Lord." A fparrow cannot fall to the ground without the divine notice and permiffion: And the hairs of the heads of God's people are all numbered. The Lord fays, they "fhall never perish, neither fhall any pluck them out of his hands." How our Lord will difpofe of our lives, liberties, labours and properties, for the time to come, we know not; let us then cheerfully commit all we have and are to Him, who hath hitherto performed all things well for us. And may this, through divine grace, be the determination of our hearts, that we and our houfes will ferve the Lord, in offering up our morning and evening facrifices, until prayer fhall be turned into eternal praife, and the days of our danger and mourning fhall be for ever ended. J. M. THE GLORIOUS BEAUTY OF THE BLESSED GOD. B EAUTY is captivating to many. The beauty of the with the difplay thereof, exclaimed, How great is his goodnefs, and how great is his beauty! To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple, was the one thing which David defired and fought after. I wish it may be the fame with the writer and every reader of this paper. The beauty of the Lord cannot be expreffed. The eloquence of men and angels is utterly inadequate to the task. To fet it forth, no metaphor is, or ever can be found: No, not among the brightest glories, nor the greatest beauties of this tranfitory dying world. Every thing in God is the perfection of beauty. There is, faith an apoftle, one glory of the fun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; to which I may add, there are many other glories and beauties in the wide creation; but let it be remembered, they are not originals, they are all derived, and have no beauty but what God has given them. Let us then for a few moments turn aside from the fading beauties of this lower world, to behold the tranfcendent and eternal beauties of our God. What a glorious beauty do we behold in his infinite knowledge and wifdom! The Lord is a God of knowledge, by whom actions are weighed. His understanding is infinite. His eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. He fees not as man fees; Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. He fearcheth all hearts. We may fay with the Pfalmift, Lord, thou haft fearched us and known us; our down-fitting and up-rifing, and our thoughts afar off. Such knowledge is too wonderful for us; it is high, we cannot attain unto it. Let us then, with the revering Apoftle, cry out with wonder and adoration, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Not only all paft events, but likewife all future ones, are prefent with the Lord. All future things are naked and open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. In a dream he revealed to Jofeph his future advancement in Egypt. He called Cyrus by name, a century before he was born. Nothing can ever take him by furprise. But he can and will take the wife in their own craftinefs, whenever they are fcheming to counteract his purpofes. Why, faith the Pfalmift, do the kings of the earth and the rulers take counfel together against the Lord, and against his anointed? The Lord fhall have them in derifion. Let it ever be remembered, that in the death of Jefus Chrift, the deep policy of earth and hell was utterly confounded; and fo fhall it be with all their future projects to overthrow the church of God. It is worthy of notice, that the beauty of God's wifdom is equal to that of his knowledge. Among men this is not always the cafe: Some are knowing, but at the fame time are deftitute of that wisdom which confift in ufing knowledge to ac complish noble and good defigns. In God, this wisdom fhines with infinite fplendour. It is ftamped upon all his works, its veftiges are obvious in all his ways. Could wo furvey the heavens and the earth, with the great and wide |