stands related to the God of heaven, as his God and father. Though many a pious seaman has been swallowed in the mighty waters, yet his soul ascended to God, as readily, and as certainly, as it would have done, had he expired at home in the arms of the wife of his bosom: and the corpse rests as secure at the bottom of the ocean, till the resurection of the just, as it would have done in the family grave.

"No tidings arrive of the_dear friends, and Newhaven's heart began to fail her." And well it might, for as the wise man observes, "Hope deferred, maketh the heart sick." Preyed upon by the lingering and painful disease of anxious suspense, respecting those who lay so near their hearts, they cry to God in public and in private, and they are heard. Who can read this so well attested, and deeply interesting story, without the mingled emotion of sympathy and admiration. What a melancholy catastrophe is here depicted! The precious sons of Zion are swallowed up in the mighty deep.And, what shall we reply to the questions of unbelief? Surely, that as it respects outward events and calamities, "All things come alike to all; there is one event to the righteous and the wicked. " there is in men, a strong propensity to judge of themselves, and others, by out

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ward events. But let not the pious sufferer be hastily and harshly censured, nor let the wicked be emboldened by, nor envied for their abused prosperity; for alas, many of the fat bulls of Basan, who are now gamesome in rich pastures on earth, will be found victims for slaughter in the land of darkness: and multitudes of the beloved flock, who now crop the barren heath, shall, hereafter, graze in the meadows of Immanuel.

Behold in this appearance of the ship in the air, a signal display of God in relieving the just and deep anxieties of his praying people. And, observe what honor he puts on fervent and united prayers; and also, how he deigns, occasionally, to answer them in a very extraordinary manner. Yet, though he sometimes goes out of his usual way, he does nothing unnecessarily. Here, it was to confirm the faithful, and replenish the sorrowful soul.

He who covereth the heaven with clouds, has not only occasionally painted on them fearful portents, but he also sets his bow in the cloud, as the emblem of covenant kindness to men. Who will venture to say, it is not possible, that ærial scenes may, by Divine, or angelic power, be now, as easily formed, as were those fearful sights, and great signs from heaven,

predicted by our Saviour, and enumerated by Josephus in his preface to the Jewish war. The historian, among other prodigies, informs us of a comet like a flaming sword, waving for a whole year over Jerusalem; and of the appearance of contending armies in the air; and of intrenchments thrown up against a city there represented.

How unreasonable would be the prejudices of those Sceptics, who should disbelieve and scoff at this relation, supported as it is by such unquestionble evidence! Rather let them dwell on the important deductions to be drawn from it. Admitting it to be true, does it not evince the existence, the knowledge, the power, the superintendence, and the condescending kindness of God: and that is not a vain thing to serve him, and pray unto him? Rejecting this case, so well supported, and yet, admitting that credible historical evidence, is a proper ground for belief, how will they exculpate themselves from the charges of apparent inconsistency, and squeamish scepticism.These are questions which should be duly weighed. Yet, after all, it is no great marvel, if this representation be rejected, for even the testimony of the holy prophets and apostles of Jesus Christ, and of God himself, has been, not only disbelieved, but also contemned.

LIFE IN JEOPARDY.

In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, a person was arraigned before Sir James Dyer, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, upon an indictment, for the murder of a man, who dwelt in the same parish with the prisoner. The first witness against him, deposed: That on a certain day, mentioned by the witness, in the morning, as he was going through a close, which he particularly described, at some distance from the path, he saw a person, lying in a condition, that denoted him to be either dead or drunk; that he went to the party, and found him actually dead, two wounds appearing in his breast, and his shirt and clothes much stained with blood; that the wounds appeared to the witness, to have been given by the puncture of a fork, or some such instrument and, looking about, he discovered a fork lying near the corpse, which he took up, and observed it to be marked with the initials of the prisoner's name, the witness, at the same time, produced the fork in Court, which the prisoner owned to be his, and waved asking the witness any questions.

A second witness deposed, "That on the morning of the day on which the de

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ceased was killed, the witness had risen early, with an intention of going to a neighbouring market town, which he named that as he was standing in the entry of his own dwelling-house, the street door being open, he saw the pri soner come by, dressed in a suit of clothes, the colour and fashion of which, the witness described-that he (the witness) was prevented from going to market, and, that afterwards, the first witness brought notice to the town, of the death, and wounds of the deceased, and of the prisoner's fork being found near the corpse; that, upon this report, the prisoner was apprehended, and carried before a Justice of Peace, whom he named and pointed at, he being then present in Court; that he (the witness) followed the prisoner to the Justice's house, and attended his examination, during which, he observed the change of raiment which the prisoner had made, since the time when the witness had first seen him in the morning; that at the time of such examination, the prisoner was dressed iu the same clothes which he had on at the time of the trial, and, that on the witness's charging him with having changed his clothes, he gave several shuffling answers, and would have denied it; that, upon the witness's mentioning this circumstance of the change of dress, the Justice granted a warrant to