upon every other, after the Lord had brought him acquainted with himself, we hear the heavenly apostle saying: "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless; and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him." (Philip. iii. 7, 8.)

What sayeth my reader to this statement? It will be from the special grace of the Lord if both writer and reader be found so prosecuting their voyage to the other world, through all the tides of this. If He "who hath placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss themselves and roar, yet cannot prevail;" if He, "whose name is the Lord of hosts," is at the helm, becomes himself the compass, and guides the rudder: very sure I am, bottomed in this spiritual navigation like Paul, with equal confidence may we say, "There shall not an hair of the head fall!" No loss of any man's life, spiritually and eternally, can take place, who is thus in Christ: but of the ship, of this world only. As the apostle observed upon another occasion, so may all like him, the objects and subjects of grace, say now; "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: as poor yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (2 Cor. vi. 10.)

I do not think it necessary to swell these pages with observations upon what is said of the shipwreck itself. The sacred historian hath related it in terms of so much beautiful simplicty, as would rather be injured than improved, by any attempt of illustration. Let me only, therefore call the reader's attention to the last verse of the chapter, which contains the concluding relation of the voyage, and confirms the apostle's

prophecy, in recording the goodness of the Lord. The whole ship's company, of "two hundred, threescore and sixteen souls," without the loss of a single person, were all saved: “ some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, they escaped all safe to land."

And what a beautiful view doth the whole afford, of the Lord's government and watchfulness over his people; both in providence and grace! And who that beholds the marvellous history with an eye of faith, but must be constrained to cry out, in the words of one of old: "Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." (Rom. xi. 33.)

One more special and particular observation, I would desire to call the reader's attention to; which if he be a gracious reader cannot fail to arrest his attention, and under divine teaching, will be found useful to him among a thousand occurrences in life. The observation I refer to is this; that the embarkation of Paul and his company, with all the events that followed, were not only ordered and arranged in the unerring counsel of infinite wisdom; but by a special mark of grace to the apostle, were opened to his mind from the beginning. And the promise which the Lord gave to Paul in a vision of the night, became as sure in the apostle's mind, as when fulfilled. And such are all the promises of God to his people: though not all revealed as was his, for this special purpose. "All the promises of God in Christ Jesus, are yea and Amen." This is one absolute, fixed, and certain thing. Let what will intervene between the promise and the accomplishment; with these the Lord's people have nothing to do. His is, to bring all to pass; ours is to believe. And however dark and unpromising soever, at times, things may appear

wait but the upshot; and all will manifest the divine faithfulness. "Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Num. xxiii. 20.) The Lord accompany this, and all other Scriptures, to the spiritual apprehension of his people; and "to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end, Amen,"

END OF THE FIFTH VOLUME,

B BENSLEY, PRINTER, ANDOVER.