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and suffering, and cause your present afflictions to appear as waters which have passed away.

To conclude. Remember it is the Spirit of the Lord which discovers the emptiness of Moab, and the insufficiency of all creature enjoyments; which inclineth the heart to forsake father and mother, wife and children, houses and lands, for the sake of Jesus and salvation: it is he who giveth courage and inspireth strength to hold on in the way even to the end, and bring you safe to the heavenly felicity. Let then your eye, and your cry, be ever to Jesus for his Spirit's teaching; for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God,' Rom. viii. 14.

DISCOURSE III.

RUTH i. 8---13.

And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, go return each to her mother's house; the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant you, that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lift up their voice and wept. And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have an husband: if I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to-night and should also bear sons, would ye tarry, &c.

SPEAKING, of the virtuous woman, whose price is above rubies, Solomon says, Prov. xxxi. 26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness:' truly verified in Naomi, from whom we have not heard a syllable till now, and nothing but wisdom and kindness drop from her lips; all is maternal tenderness and piety, joined with the most becoming gravity. Far from being like the clack of the foolish woman elsewhere described, and known by the multitude of her words; she acts and speaks as if a type of the church, in caring for the welfare of her daughters-in-law. What a rebuke does this

venerable character give to tattlers, backbiters, and busy bodies? and what a fair example is set oefore every mother in our modern Israel?

I. 'Go, return each to her mother's house.'---This breathes the most ardent affection. She loved her daughters, and delighted in their company; but rather than involve them in the difficulties she saw before her, she was ready to deny herself of the only earthly consolation she retained. Much had she lost, her all was at stake, yet her noble, disinterested soul felt more for her daughters-in-law than for herself; notwithstanding she rejected the name of Naomi, and laid claim to that of Marah. It grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is 'gone out against me,' ver. 13. What an excellent lesson to parents, teaching you to prefer the good of your children, even to your own personal happiness; and indeed what would not a parent sacrifice to the good of his offspring?

Besides parental tenderness, this experienced mother might have a political end in view in giving this advice. By this she brought them to the test, and proved the sincerity of their affection to her, and to that Jehovah whose religion she professed. Till this advice was given, the soundness and sincerity of Ruth's religion did not appear; nor did the rottenness of Orpah's professior. discover itself: but this brought them to a final determination, and each clave to the company with which they were formed to associate. This will ultimately be the case with all men, and every one shall have his own proper company; the very company which is their choice in the present state of existence.

Poor Orpah, whose religion was superficial, could now go back with credit, and therefore embraced her mother's advice: but steady, amiable Ruth had her heart effectually touched, and no persuasion could possibly divert her from her purpose to cleave to her mother-in-law, in life, in death, and in the very grave itself. O how steady and immoveable is the attachment of the truly godly! where you see much unsteadiness, you have great reason to fear that the root of the matter is absent, for love is a fixed principle, which cannot be quenched even by many waters. The believing church being the Redeemer's Naomi, his sweet or pleasant one, in his unsearchable wisdom; it is his p.casure sometimes to bring her into the wilderness of afflictions, and tempestuous trials, on purpose openly to try the love of her professed daughters. In such sifting and winnowing seasons, many Orpahs turn their backs on her assemblies, as if no way interested in her internal concerns; notwithstanding at their first enting into her communion, they solemnly professed to cast their lot in with her's for the worse, as well as for the better. But such professors who can walk with the church only in her peace and prosperity, betray their want of affection to the Lord and Master of the church himself; and it is no matter how soon they return

back to their own proper company, for they cannot at al profit the Lord's people.

II. The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me.'---This holy woman could not part with her daughters-in-law without praying with and for them; thereby setting us an example truly worthy of the closest imitation; and happy would it be if the same conduct were more generally prac tised in Christian society; of what union of affection might it be productive! she prayed for both with equal earnestness, not knowing which, if either, the Lord had chosen. Hence it appears, that parents ought to pray with and for their children; for how shall they be convinced, that they have at all a share in your prayers, if they are never offered up in their personal presence?

You may do your offspring more good by prayer and supplication for them, than by all your endeavours to render their fortunes affluent. Naomi had neither silver nor gold to confer, but she had, what was more valuable, an heart which could not cease to pray for them.

Indeed one would suppose that every parent who has an heart to love his children, would also have an heart to pray with and for them; but alas! the case happens very often to be quite the contrary, and many children are brought up, who, from the conduct of their parents, are altogether unacquainted that there is either duty, or privilege in that solemnity. But will not the man of grace imitate the high father of the faithful, who, in the fervour of his spirit, prayed earnestly for the son of even the bond woman, his whole soul going forth in the ardent petition, 'O that Ishmael may live before thee!' Where is that parent who will not say, O that my children may live before the Most High; and with Naomi, the Lord deal kindly with you, and bless you?' Children, bless God for praying parents; it is possible that they many times pray for you, when they hardly have hearts to pray for themselves. And ye parents, go on to pray for your children, let circumstances be ever so unpromising, for the Lord hath never said to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye my 'face in vain.'

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III.The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.' They had shewed conjugal kindness to their husbands whilst alive, buried them honourably when dead, and dutifully continued with their mother-in-law until this time in mourning: in all these things it appears not that Ruth exceeded Orpah. From whence we gather this striking truth, that how excellent soever moral and social virtue may be in itself, it may possess that soul which is altogether uninfluenced by divine religion; and consequently, that this, abstractly considered, is no suitable foundation for the hope of mankind.

"The Lord deal kindly with you, &c.'---It may be observed

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that the Holy Ghost, by whom only prayer is inspired, leads his subjects to pray according to the designs of his grace and providence, so that although all blessings are freely given in Jesus, they shall be obtained by us only in the way of asking; for, 'for all these things,' saith the Lord, I will be inquired of by you, "O house of Israel.' Hence it follows, that when a spirit of prayer for the nation, church, or family, is in exercise, it is an evident sign that suitable blessings are near approaching. On the other hand, when that is absent, as there is just reason to fear it is in this day, there is reason to apprehend that these blessings are at a remote distance, if at all designed. O Britain! my heart bleeds to contemplate thy situation! may God avert the approaching judgments!

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The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me.'---The law of retaliation, in both good and evil, is of divine institution, and of very ancient authority, Exod. xxi. 24, 25. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.' This same law is still in force under the gospel dispensation, with this difference, that under the Mosaic dispensation the execution of it was left with the judges, but now the Lawgiver has resumed that province himself. But this alters not the tenor of the law, seeing the same God who commands his people to forgive even to seventy times seven injuries, will, upon their forgiveness, himself retaliate upon their enemies; for himself tells us, Mat. vii. 2. With the same measure ye mete, it shall ⚫ be measured to you again.'

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Adonibezek, lord of the world, and tyrant of Jerusalem, was fully convinced of the sanction of this law of retaliation, as appears from his own confession, Judges i. 7. Threescore and ten kings having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table; as I have done, so God hath ' requited me.' Caleb having defeated his forces, and taken the tyrant himself prisoner, either from his knowledge of his personal history, or by some secret leading from above, ordered his thumbs and great toes to be cut off, which opened his eyes to the villanies he had himself practised on others, and brought him to the above confession, which shews forth the righteousness of the heavenly Governor.

This wretched and unjust tyrant was a lively type of that man of sin described by the Apostle Paul, 2 Thess. ii. 4. As the son ' of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all bat ' is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.' He also assumes the name Adonibezek, lord or father of the world, the princes of which have kissed his toe, and as it were gathered their meat under his table, holding their crowns and kingdoms by

no other tenure than his despotic will. In flat contradiction to holy writ, he has practically declared that it is by him kings reign, and princes decree judgment. One is your Master, even Christ,' says the Scripture; but I am lord of conscience, says the man of sin.

This man of sin is the head of the Roman church, that Antichristian hierarchy, which has ever shut the door of knowledge against the people, and persecuted to death the faithful followers of Jesus; and against which church is already denounced the following awful malediction, Rev. xviii. 6, 7. Reward her even ' as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to 'her works; in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so 'much sorrow and torment give her.' Nor is this to be considered as an empty threatening, for its fulfilment is on its way, and shall be amply accomplished under the third vial, Rev. xvi. 6. where it is represented in point of certainty, as a fact which had already taken place. They have shed the blood of the saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy.' Let the man of sin with all his adherents tremble at the dreadful doom; and let the souls under the altar rejoice, seeing that judgment is hastening, and their God will fully execute the law of retaliation.

IV. 'The Lord grant that you may find rest each of you in the house of her husband.'---Benevolence prompted the piou prayer, and shewed that she preferred the welfare of her living daughters, to the memory of her deceased children. She wisely considered them as loosed from the law of their former husbands, and at full liberty to re-enter the conjugal state with whom, and whensoever they pleased. This shews that a life of celibacy was no more known to ancient custom, than it is any part of Scripture requirement. It is evident that she even considered marriage, yea, a second marriage, as honourable, and a state of rest in comparison of widowhood or virginity. Let experience speak, and it will testify the same truth, therefore those who recommend a sequestered life, ought to be deemed enemies to society.

This good woman looked to God as the giver of this rest, 'The Lord give each of you rest.' Happy, happy it is for that man who can look to the Lord, as the only giver of every good and perfect gift! And assuredly, if men and women were to look to him, instead of fortune, and social connections, there would be many more happy marriages than in general subsist. Blessed is that man who can upon this, and every other occasion, say with David, Psal. xxv. 15. My eyes are ever towards the 'Lord.' But as Mr. Ness observes, with but too much justice, in general on these occasions the great bag, instead of the great God, is most regarded. And this we may conclude, that where

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