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captains over every one of them; and he pursued after the children of Israel."

The Israelites passed through the midst of the sea, upon dry ground. But, it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians, and troubled the host of the Egyptians.

"And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses !”*

Such is the history of Pharaoh :-affording a singularly conspicuous and notable instance, as has been before remarked, in the history of

* Exod. xiv. See Appendix R.

the world, of the consequence of turning from the voice of God.

VII...Man is surrounded with temptations to evil. We feel that we are surrounded with temptation, which if, with God's help, we do not resist, will overcome us; the power of evil will have dominion over us; the ruler of the darkness of this world will bind us in his chains. "Be sober," says St. Peter, "be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour." *

If we cease to listen to the voice of God; if we refuse to obey Him; if, deserting his paths of peace, we persist in disobedience against Him; he gradually withdraws himself from us; he leaves the "house" of our souls;-and the "adversary," the "destroyer," who is ever on the watch, finding that house " empty, swept, and garnished," + enters in and dwells there!

VIII...The sentence of eternal justice, which went forth over Egypt, may be seen now, alas! thickening as a cloud over individuals or multitudes; and they who have eyes to see

* 1 Pet. v. 8.

Matt. xii. 44.

or ears to hear, can know how God is " SAME YESTERDAY, TO-DAY, AND FOR EVER !" *

THE

He, whose "mercy is over all his works," is "kind to the unthankful and the evil;" +-He "maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."‡

IX...This we see.

Nature's bounty is open to the wicked as well as to the good.

But what else can we discern?

The good ENJOY her bounty; the wicked do NOT!

The wicked man may be surrounded with all this world can give but the capacity for enjoying life's blessings is not with him; the sense of happiness is injured.

It matters not, in the least degree, whether want or wealth be the DRESS of the soul's earthly tabernacle in this scene of life. If God be far from our spirit, then mirth is not there; hope is not there; joy is not there! Darkness and sorrow form the soul's atmosphere-the shadow of that darkness to which there will be no limit, and wherein there will be weeping only, and gnashing of teeth! *Heb. xiii. 8. † Luke vi. 35, 36. Matt. v. 45.

x... If there be one whom I now address, who hath "walked in the counsel of the ungodly, stood in the way of sinners, or sat in the seat of the scornful," let him know that "the way of the ungodly SHALL PERISH!" Look to the fate of others: remember PHARAOH!

Destruction and evil; seas of destruction, whose waves and tides the Lord disposes at his will, are round about us wheresoever we be!

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But "THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US; THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR REFUGE.' ""* " If ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

*Psalm xlvi. 11

SERMON XI.

MARK IV. 39.

"He arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace; be still, and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."

I...HAVING, on former occasions, endeavoured to bring to your minds the way in which the voice of God comes to us; and, having represented, in my last discourse, the result of hardening the heart against that voice; I am anxious, this evening, to call your attention to the opposite subject, of the consequence of listening to that voice.

I have selected for my text the words of St. Mark, where he describes the circumstance of our Lord's stilling the tempest, the connexion of which subject of reflection with the one immediately under our consideration, I

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