"I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it."-PSALM XXXIX. 9.

BELIEVE that there are few of us who have not frequently heard this Psalm read upon funeral occaions; and we must, no doubt, approve the propriety f the choice, as it contains some very weighty reflecions on the mortality of human nature, expressed with reat solemnity, and intermingled with proper devoional addresses to that great and awful Being who has n righteous judgment passed that sentence on sinful nan, by which we and our friends are brought down to he dust for it is he, as the Psalmist well expresses it verse 5), who has made our days as a hand's breadth, and our age as nothing before him; so that every man, in his best state, is altogether vanity. When the mind is agitated with strong affections, it is difficult to restrain the tongue from some undue liberty of speech:

at least, there may be an inward language, audible to the ear of God, which may be displeasing to him, if there be not a care to impose silence upon every repining thought, as well as to keep the mouth as with a bridle. But it is the design of the providence of God, in conjunction with his ordinances, to teach us, whatever our trials may be, how dear soever the enjoyments which we may lose, and how heavy soever the burthen which we may bear, to be dumb with silence, after the example of the pious Psalmist, and not to open our mouths, because whatever it is that has fallen upon us, has come from the hand of God.

1. Let the Christian reflect that God can do no wrong to him, or to any of his creatures.

Let him not only consider the sovereignty of the Almighty's dominion, which is such that no creature can pretend to contend with him, but also the essential rectitude of his nature, which is such that none can have any right inwardly to censure, or to complain of what he does. "O my soul! he has done it, who holds the reins of universal empire. He, who does what he pleases in the armies of heaven, and amongst the inhabitants of earth. He has done it, who spake the creating word, and it was done; he who is the potter, and every creature, on earth and in heaven, but as clay in his hand, to be moulded according to his own will. And shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Well may it be said in that connexion, Nay, O man! who art thou that repliest

against God? Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth; but woe unto him that strives with his Maker! This is a silencing thought: nor does it impose merely such a silence as proceeds from the dread of superior power, or the despair of being able to make anything out by resisting it; but with the conviction of such sovereign authority and dominion is necessarily connected that also of infinite perfection. It cannot be good to the Almighty that he should oppress. Nothing can tempt Omnipotence in any instance to do evil. The infinite understanding of God must ever see what is right; his all perfect mind, seeing it, must approve it; and, approving it, must do it, being infinitely above all temptation to deviate from it. There is always reason to say, Good is the word of the Lord that he has spoken, for this very reason, because it is his word; because it is spoken by him. "O my perverse heart! what wouldst thou say? Wouldst thou dare to fly in the face of God himself? charge him with tyrannical administration? Wouldst thou dare to say, Lord, thou art now beginning to act unworthy of thyself: thou governest other beings wisely and well; but thou neglectest me, and availest thyself of thine irresistible power to overbear my rights, and to oppress me in judgment! God forbid! who would not rather say, Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, before I utter such a word; yea, let my mind lose all its rational faculties rather than harbour such a thought!"

Wouldst thou dare to