kingdom, and understandeth it not, then "cometh the wicked one and catcheth a66 way that which was fown in his heart: "this is he which received feed by the way-fide," Matt. xiii. 19.

This good ground, which may be expected to bring forth an hundred fold, must be carefully kept from the inroads of beafts, otherwise the crop will be much injured, if not wholly destroyed. But how shall this field be preferved from fuch ravages? for I perceive it hath no fufficient fence around it. No doubt the hufbandman will take care of it, and tend it with his herds from fuch intrufions. So the field of the heart must be carefully kept from the inroads of fin and Satan, else these worse than beafts of prey will foon destroy the crop of grace, and leave nothing against the har-vest but a heap in the day of grief, and of defperate forrow, Ifa. xvii. 11.

But how must this field of the heart be kept from fuch destruction? for the fence thereof was quite broken down in paradise, by Adam's going over it to eat the forbidden fruit. The hedge of original righte

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oufness being then no more round this field, how shall it be preserved? But difficult as the task is, nay, tho' altogether out of our power, we are commanded to do it, and that with all diligence, Prov. iv. 23. for the fence was entirely of man's own breaking down, and he thereby put it out of his power to keep it, though bound thereto in the covenant of works. But al though he loft his ability to obey, God did not lofe his right to command whatsoever he was bound to, and endowed with ability for before the fall.

But the question ftill recurs, How shall the field of the heart be kept? The answer is, By giving it into the care of the great Husbandman, who hath faid, "My fon, "give me thine heart," Prov. xxiii. 26. If this field then be given to his protection, it shall be kept indeed, left any hurt it; he will keep it night and day, Ifa. xxvii. 3.

When this field is well advanced towards the harvest, and every ftalk in it loaden with full ears, tinged with yellow, forming a delightful prospect of a luxuriant crop; perhaps the clouds, tremendous clouds will

gather, and burst forth in alarming falls of rain, with boisterous winds, which will lay it down along the furface of the earth: then will it look folitary, but as it holds fast by the roots, when the rains are over, the fky clear, and the fun broken forth with his radiant beams, it will begin to change its fad appearance, and in time refume its former gaiety, look up and stand erect, waiving its head in the funny beams. as before. So the believer, when he is growing up as the planting of the Lord, bringing forth the fruits of grace and holinefs, a comfort to himself and all around him, concluding with the Pfalmift, that his mountain stands ftrong, and he shall not be moved, Pfal. xxx. 6, 7. perhaps for wife ends the Lord fees best to darken his sky, and shower down upon him heavy croffes, which, with adverfe providences blowing full in his face, will lay him low in humility and felf-abasement: then will he mourn, faying with Job, "O! that I were as in "months paft, when the candle of the Lord "fhined upon mine head!" Job xxix. 2, 3. but as he holds faft by the foundation, be

ing rooted and grounded in Chrift, though he be thus laid low, his sky will again clear, and his mourning be turned into joy; the Sun of righteousness will again break forth, and arise to him with healing in his wings, Mal. iv. 2. and he fhall refume his former comfort, and grow up and flourish in the courts of the Lord, Pfal. xcii, 13.

In

Dark weather impregnates the ears as well as fun-fhine, though it is not fo good for whitening them over for harveft. like manner, fpiritual darkness impregnates the believer with ftronger defires after the light of God's countenance, clearer views of his interest in Christ, and faith in lively exercise; fo that he maketh, if I may ufe the expreffion, defperate efforts to believe; faying with Job, "Though he lay me, I "will truft in him," Job xiii. 15. wrefting like Jacob till the dawning of the day, fay ing, "I will not let thee go except thou

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blefs me," Gen. xxxii. 24, 26. praying with David, that the Lord would make his face to fhine upon him, Pfal. xxxi. 16. The ftrength of the mariner's anchor is beft proved in a storm: fo is the ftrength of faith in time of defertion. Many an an

chor that will hold the fhip in calm wea ther, becomes as useless for that purpose as a ftraw, in time of a heavy gale.

The young man in the gofpel, who had his anchor fixed to a rope of his own making, thought it fufficient to hold his veffel against wind and tide, when he was for fetting out to fail after our Lord, when lo! it went all to pieces at the very appearance of a tempeft, and we never hear that he undertook the voyage any more, Matt. xix. 16--22.

Even Peter's too, held very fast about the edges of the brook Kedron, but dragged fhamefully, and had almost gone in pieces in the high priest's hall. So we see the best way of knowing the weakness or ftrength of the anchor of faith, is not by examining how it holds in still weather, but in a tempeft.

But how have I made this fudden excurfion from the land to the ocean! Let me return again a while longer to contemplate this field, which in a few months will be loaden with full ears, white over for harveft, inviting the husbandman to thrust in