A more terrible storm will yet overtake those who continue in sin, without any repentance for it, and without any looking to God, through Christ, for pardon and deliverance. For we read so in the Bible; and God would not tell us so, if it was not true, and if it was not very important that we should know it, that we may now, in good season, endeavor to avoid the danger.

'God is angry with the wicked every day. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.' 'The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.'

In that great and dreadful day, when Christ shall thus come to judge you, and me, and all mankind; and when the wicked will be so afraid to meet him, that they will cry out to the mountains and rocks to fall on them, and to hide them from the face of Him, that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;-in that great and dreadful day,-how will you feel, my dear children, if you have not prepared to meet it, by

a sincere repentance for sin, and by a hearty faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

On the other hand, if you are thus prepared to meet it, you will have no fear.

You will look up with joy to see and meet your Saviour. The look of Jesus Christ towards you, will be full of love. It will be like the kind and affectionate look of your father or mother, when they have clasped you in their arms, and pressed you to their bosom. His voice will be sweeter than the most delightful music to your soul. Your joy will be greater than you can now conceive, when you hear Him inviting you to go and be with Him forever. And you will go and be with Him forever; and with all the holy angels; and with all who have been redeemed by his blood; to enjoy a kind of happiness of which you can now have scarcely any thought. You cannot think, how great it will be. You will be happy in knowing more and more about the greatness and goodness of God, and his Son, Jesus Christ; in worshipping, loving, and serving them; and in helping to make all around you happy. And you will thus have the highest enjoyment, in seeing the endless progress of all around you, as well as yourself, in knowledge, in holiness, and in happiness.

Think of these things, my dear children.

All that the poor mariners felt and did, when God appeared for their deliverance, is but small indeed, in comparison with the greater gratitude, and love, and obedience, which you should feel and show, towards God, and towards his Son, your Saviour. For consider how much they have done for you, both for your comfort in this world, and for your eternal happiness in the

next.

CHAPTER VII.

He

God is very merciful to the penitent. designed to save Jonah. Why God afflicts A great fish prepared by God, to swallow Jonah. Objections to this answered. Miracles explained.

us.

'Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.'

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the carth, so

:

are my ways higher than your ways, and thoughts than your thoughts.'

my

Jonah thought, while the mariners were casting him into the sea, that his death was certain. He had no hope of escaping it. But God thought differently, as we read in the verses from the Bible which I have placed at the beginning of this chapter.

God is very ready to have mercy on those who are sorry that they have offended Him; who truly repent of their sins, and turn to Him with all their hearts, resolving to sin no more. Jonah felt so, and God determined to spare his life. So that we may learn from this, that God will have mercy on those also, and pardon their sins, and save them, who truly repent of their sins, and turn unto God in the way which he has pointed out;-by faith in His Son, the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He may not always save such persons from the dangers to which, like Jonah, they are exposed. He sometimes has good reasons for their enduring trouble, and pain, and even suffering death itself. He may see that this is best for them on the whole. But, then, He will make all their troubles, and pains, and death at last, do them good, and prepare them for that better world where suffering is known no more. If He does not think it best

to save them, as He did Jonah, from the death of the body, He will certainly save them from the death of the soul;-and then the death of the body is a small matter indeed.

Jonah thought he should soon be drowned in the deep waters. He thought, that God had determined never again to send him to Nineveh. He felt that he was, indeed, very unworthy of going there in the service of God;-a service, from which he had endeavored to flee away, in so shameful and wicked a manner.

But, here again, God's thoughts were not like the thoughts of Jonah. For God intended to save his life, for the very purpose of sending him again to Nineveh, as you will see in a following chapter. And it was by the chastisements and trials which God called Jonah to endure, that He meant to bring him into that state of mind, which would prepare him the better to preach to the wicked people in Nineveh. When God first told Jonah to go there, he was not in a right state of mind. He did not think and feel as he ought. But after his chastisements and trials, which God intended for this very purpose, he became penitent and huinble. He felt how weak and helpless he was. He trusted in God for strength and protection. He knew, that God who had delivered him from being drowned

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