"as willows by the water courfes," Ifa. xliv.

3, 4.

As willows delight to grow by the cour fes of water, fo ought we to delight to grow up by the refreshing and healing ordinances of the everlasting gofpel. Seeing that the Lord hath planted us in a fruitful field in this land by great waters, even by, and under the ordinances of the ever-bleffed gofpel, (which are more refreshing to the people of the Lord, than waters are to a thirsty land) and fet us as a willow tree; we ought to prove fruitful as a vine, in holinefs and good works; being humble before him, and turning our branches of thankfulness and love towards him who hath thus planted us, and bestowed upon us in this island, fuch great privileges, whereas, if we mifimprove them, and bend our roots, and shoot forth our branches towards fin and Satan to his difhonour, and find more pleasure in the ways of fin than in holiness, seeking fatisfaction and happiness mainly in the enjoyments of carnal things; we may justly be afraid, that though we have thus been planted in a good foil by great waters, even thofe ordinances of the

gofpel, for the purpose of bringing forth the fruits of holiness; he will pull up our roots, that they fhall wither, and blast all the leaves of our fpring; and the Lord, for ought we know, may do this without the power of a foreign enemy or people, to deprive us of those ineftimâble privileges, even by infenfible decays *.

And have we not reafon to fear that this prove the cafe with us in this land, and that we are already begun to wither? Where are now the visible tokens of God's favour the power of the word, and the heart meltings under fermons which used to be feen and felt in the days of our forefathers?

When the fhadows wax long, as the pious Gray obferves, is it not a fign that the day is haftening to an end, and the night faft approaching? And is it not lamentable to obferve, that the fhadows of religion are more delighted in by many than the fubftance thereof? and hath not churchdifcipline of late years been more in fhadow

See the ground of all this applied rather differently by the Prophet, Ezek. xvii. 5---10.

than in substance, and growing still more and more fo? All which call loudly in the ears of church members, to figh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midft thereof, Ezek. ix. 4.

May I be among this happy number of Zion mourners, fo that I may have a mark fet upon my forehead, which may diftinguish me for fafety in the day of deftruction.

Willows are very pliable, eafily twisted whatever way their owner chufes; so ought mortal men to be to their Creator.---Is it his will that we should be in profperity and affluent circumftances? let us therein be humble and rejoice with thanksgiving, joining trembling with our mirth, according to that beautiful direction of the royal Pfalmift, Pfal. ii, 11.

On the other hand, are we afflicted and poor ? let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, with a degree of cheerfulness and refignednefs to the divine. will, (not with a forced fubmiffion), faying

with the man of exemplary patience, when he was ftripped of all his wealth and children, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked fhall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; bleffed be the name of the Lord. What? fhall we receive good at the hand of God, and fhall we not receive evil? Job i, 21. and ii. 10. and with the prophet, Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his fins? Lam. iii. 39.

On this rifing ground stands the ever verdant yew, expofed to the northern blaft; the ancestors of which have no doubt furnished many famous bows to our ancient warriors; but ever fince the invention of powder has been found out, it has been but little regarded; nay, for fome offenfive qualities more imaginary than real, this once esteemed tree is banifhed the fociety of thofe trees planted in the gardens and pleafant groves, to places more remote and barren, and only here and there one of this hardy useful race is now to be found.

Such trees are emblematical of the

peo

ple of the Lord, whofe verdure of grace and

conftancy to the truth still remain, in midst of the sharpest trials to which they are exposed, whether from men or devils.

If at any time through the weakness of the flesh, and the strength of indwelling fin, they be overcome (which indeed they often are, for there is no man that liveth here and finneth not, 1 Kings viii. 46. 2 Chron. vi. 36. Eccl. vii. 20.) like bows made of this elastic wood, they immediately return to that bent from which they had been forced by the law of the members, Rom. vii. 23.

They are often too perfecuted to banishment, and death itself; and for what reafon? only because they prove to be offenfive to the wicked: nor is this owing to any thing in them, or the principles of that holy religion of which they are the votaries, (which are all calculated for the most falutary and endearing purposes) but wholly owing to the noxious qualities of the wicked themselves, which, like fore eyes that cannot endure the light and beams of the fun, are offended by the purity of their