sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not ? but if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons" (Heb. xii. 6.)---I say, think of approaching storms; not indeed so as to hinder your thankfulness for present mercies, or so as to unfit you for present duty but reckon upon days of darkness and distress so as to prevent sloth and security, and to quicken you in the way and work of the Lord.

2. Let us be thankful to God for providing such a Hiding-place for us.

I am now speaking, principally, to those who have in some measure experienced what a blessed refuge Christ is, in the several storms above mentioned. You, that have been pierced with deep convictions, and have been ready to sink under the tormenting load of guilt and wrath, and by applying to Jesus have found rest to your souls ;--you, that in your conflicts with Satan have found, that, when you went forth in the name and strength of Jesus, you were more than conquerors ;---and you, that have been often, and long, in the burning fiery furnace, and yet have not merely escaped injury, but have always come out considerable gainers by the trials --I call upon you to bless God for Jesus Christ. You can thank him with a peculiar relish, which others cannot; and you may look forward with joyful hope, that he that hath delivered, and doth deliver, will hereafter deliver, when flesh and heart, and all present things, shall fail. Think what you should have done in past storms, think what you could ever hope to do in those storms Lethat are yet to come, without such a defence and shelter: you had been ruined, both for time and

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eternity, long ago. And have you escaped, or been carried safely through, so many storms al"Cready, and can you look beyond the rest, and not acknowledge with gratitude and joy the amazing goodness and mercy of God, who, to make early and abundant provision for your safety and comfort, parted with his own Son from his bosom, and sent him down to our world to be a hiding-place for us? What did not our blessed Lord condescend to, for our sakes!Our text, which was a prophecy of him, calls him a man; and he was afterward a man in reality; and there was nothing in his appearance in the world to distinguish him from a mere man-yea, and from a mean man but the words that he spake and the works that he did. And to this circumstance it is that we owe all the protection and comfort we enjoy in this 3 tempestuous wilderness-I mean, to Christ's beascoming man. There wanted not power in God to save us; there wanted not mercy in God to save us: but holiness and justice stood in the way; and these could in no way be satisfied, nor their honour be secured, but by Christ's generous, gracious undertaking. Wherefore in all things it behoved him auto be made like unto his brethren, that he might be da merciful and faithful high-priest in things pertainbring to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of bathe people." (Heb. ii. 17.)-O Christians to what baa dreadful storm did this dear man-I may say, this divine man--expose himself, in order to proncureat hiding place for us!" He was wounded for mour transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities: Enthe chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed." What must we be

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made of, if our souls do not magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour yavs tunda 3. Let us all be persuaded to secure an interest in Christ; alto Liow ¿ That, when the wind begins to blow, and the tempest to roar, we may not be at a loss for a Covert. We read, " And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. vi. 15.), What day of divine vengeance this passage refers to, we stay not to inquire; but we learn from it, that their case is very deplorable who have nothing but rocks and dens to screen them from the Lord God Omnipotent:---we learn, that the stoutest hearts will fail when God enters into judgment with them:---we learn farther, that as the greatest are not above being punished, the meanest are not beneath it; kings and slaves--- all, all, will be confounded and terrified, and will endeavour (though, alas! too late!) to fly from the wrath to come;-and we must be stupid if we do not learn this too, that whatever our hand findeth to do, we should do it with our might; and give diligence to make our calling and election sure: it will be too late to begin to prepare an ark, when the deluge is pouring down. Think what a hazardous condition you are in, who yet live in your sins; who are all

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exposed to the wrath of the Almighty, who walk about every day, and sleep every nd sleep every night, with the curse of God hanging over your heads, and the sword of Justice suspended by a hair; who, if the storm of convictions, or the storm of temptation, or the storm of affliction, or the storm of death, should overtake you, have nothing at all to defend or shelter you! What a dreadful situation this! Think what a mercy it is that you have yet space and means for repentance; that the golden sceptre is yet held out; that you are allowed to read the Scriptures, and to come where God hath promised to meet his people and bless them; and, especially, that Christ and all his benefits are this day held out to your acceptance! "O seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near." Who knows but it may be said of us, as Christ said of the Jews, "And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." (Matt. iii. 10.)-Is God threatening to take away his gospel, and should not we cry, Lord, let me be converted first; let my soul be first safely lodged with Jesus; let me be first translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of thy dear Son?'-God is now expecting to hear this from us; he is waiting to be gracious. Behold, how is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation. Who knows what to-morrow may be! Wherefore, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, → and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little:

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4. Let us look forward with joyful hope to that

glorious world, where blow no blustering winds nor desolating tempests !--

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Where there is not the least danger or disturbance; where tumults and terrors are known no more at all;---where the inhabitants shall no more I am sick; and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain; and there shall be no more curse; nor any thing, within us or without us, to cause the least uneasy apprehension; where the love of God shall be shed abroad in every heart abundantly ;--where every individual of that vast assembly shall be united to one another in the most entire and cordial affection, and nothing shall be seen or heard in heaven, but peace and praise universal and everlasting.---And then, Christians, our storms and dangers being all over, O how shall we admire the wisdom and adore the grace of Immanuel, that carried us so safely through! If it had not been for thee, gracious Saviour, such a storm would have crushed me if I had not taken shelter in thine arms, such a tempest would have hurled me into 6 hell.---And art thou the Man that was my covert 'from every storm ?---Gracious, glorious Lord! I ¿ see now that I owe all I was, and all I am to thy free and boundless love.---Even here, "Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, re"ceived up into glory." If I had seen thee in the

days of thy humiliation, I might have thought it "impossible thou shouldst be God; and now I 'see thee in thy glory, I wonder how thou couldst be a man. But I know thou wast both; and it is