manner as he hastened the resurrection of his dear Son, as soon as the appointed day began to dawn.

Brethren, the whole bible is full of Christ; and were our minds duly enlightened, we might see his glory in every page. "To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." They searched "what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."* And the time of his resurrection was among the subjects predicted; for he was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures."†

Seek, my friends, in reading the sacred word, to get acquainted with Christ, the only Saviour: for your bibles will do you little good, if they bring you not to him. "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth:" Christ is the substance of the Gospel: "Christ is all and in all."§ Receive, then, by faith, this glorious Redeemer whom the gospel presents unto you; "who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." Behold the wonders of the Godhead displayed in his death and resurrection ; and learn to glory in his cross.

May "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shine in your hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!" To him be glory, now and for ever. Amen!

*Acts x. 43. 1 Peter i. 10, 11. † 1 Cor. xv. 4. § Rom. x. 4. Col. ii. 10. iii. 11. Rom. iv. 25. ¶ 2 Cor. iv. 6.

LECTURE V.

JONAH'S PRAYER IN THE FISH'S BELLY.

Chap. II. 1-6.

Ver. 1, 2. "Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God, out of the fish's belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice."

Many a prayer is contained in the book of God; it records the devotions of saints on a great variety of occasions: but never was a prayer presented at the throne of grace in the same circumstances with that which we are now to consider. It was not sent up to God from the city or the field, from the hills or the valleys, from the woods or the plains; it did not rise towards heaven from the shores of the ocean, nor from the face of the waters: but it ascended from the dark caverns. of the deep, whither Jonah had been carried in his living prison. We have seen, in the former chapter, how Jonah, when he was thrown into the sea, was swallowed up by a great fish, which God had prepared for that purpose; and how, instead of being suffocated or otherwise destroyed, he was miraculously

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preserved in the belly of the fish and here we find, that "behold he prayeth;" and the place of his confinement is turned into a house of prayer, where he tastes the pleasures of devotion, and enjoys communion with the God of his salvation.

During the raging of the storm, Jonah was exhorted by the captain, to arise and call upon his God; but it is not said whether he prayed then or not: now, however, he prays fervently, and the substance of his address to God is recorded for our benefit. Truly it is an interesting prayer, whether we consider the occasion, the place, or the matter of it; and therefore it well deserves our most serious attention. We can never be placed in Jonah's situation; yet his words may be of great service, by the divine blessing, to direct and encourage our supplications, in times of danger or affliction.

Prayer is a sweet relief to the troubled mind; and as it is natural for the children of God to have recourse to their heavenly Father in all afflictive dispensations, such dispensations are frequently sent to draw them to a more intimate communion with God. And never was there a trial more calculated to produce this effect, than that of Jonah. When he found that, though his life was preserved, he was like one buried alive, a close prisoner in his moving dungeon, excluded from the fellowship of the church, from all intercourse with the world, and from all the enjoyments of life; nay, even from the light of day, and from the vital air; no wonder that he should betake himself to prayer, and seek

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to converse with God, when he could converse with none else. And what an unspeakable comfort was it for Jonah, that, when he was shut out from all living, he had immediate access to God! Though he seemed an outcast from the world, immured in the belly of the fish, and carried down to the bottom of the sea; though his eyes could not gaze toward 'heaven, and his voice could not float on the gale; yet he sends up his prayer to the Lord, with as much assurance of be ing heard, as though he had been in the temple at Jerusalem, or in his chamber at Gath-hepher. Blessed be God! No barrier can be set up us and heaven, but that which is raised by our sins. Persecutors have sometimes thrust the saints into gloomy dungeons, robbed them of all the sweets of society, and all the comforts of life; but they never could obstruct their way to the throne of grace, nor hinder in the smallest degree their intercourse with God. Brethren, amidst the wanderings of a sea-faring life, you may be carried to far distant corners of the world, remote from the society of your friends, and of the rest of mankind; you may be cast on desert islands, or inhospitable shores; but you cannot be banished from God, nor find any difficulty in approaching him with your prayers. Though Jonah had sunk to the very centre of the earth, even from thence his supplications would have ascended on high, and entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts. He felt Omnipotence sustaining him, and could not doubt that Omniscience observed him. In the belly of the fish,

and at the bottom of the ocean, he felt a present Deity; and was not only supported by his power, but blessed with the tokens of his goodness.

Accordingly, he calls upon the Lord as his own

God,

Long had Jonah been acquainted with God, and experienced the riches of his love; long had he served, and enjoyed him. He had chosen the Lord for his God, and taken hold of the promises of his covenant; he had devoted himself to his service, both as a saint, and as a prophet: and though he had lately acted a part unworthy of his high character and privileges, yet now, when he was returning to God in humility and contrition, he felt an unspeakable satisfaction in claiming him as his own. And happy are they who have a God to resort to, in all their straits and anxieties; who, when they are deprived of every thing else, are still possessed of that good part which cannot be taken away from them-an interest in God as the portion of their souls! My brethren, you may experience sad reverses and disappointments; you may lose your all in this world, as sailors often do; but be of good cheer, you cannot lose your God. If you have by faith received him as yours, your best interests are safe: not all the storms that agitate the ocean, nor all the calamities that visit the earth, nor death itself, in whatever form it may come, can strip you of your inheritance.

While Jonah informs us that he prayed, he gives us the substance of his prayer, which he recollected and wrote down after his deliverance. There can be