wrath of God ready to fall on his guilty head, flies to the man Chrift Jefus, who is

as a hiding place from the wind, and a co"vert from the tempeft," Ifa. xxxii. 2. the only refuge.

Ungrateful man, through an unfeeling heart and wanton cruelty, may give up the innocent bird to the will of its enemy; but will the compaffionate Jefus ever give up to vengeance the foul who hath fled to him for refuge? No: for he hath faid, " Him "that cometh to me, I will in no wife caft

out," John vi. 37. ; and, "whofoever be"lieveth on him fhall not be afhamed," Rom. ix. 33.; and, "Can a woman forget "her fucking child, that she should not have compaffion on the son of her womb; yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Ifa. xlix. 15.

Christ, in effect, faith to such a soul, what David once faid to Abiathar, when he fled to him from the fword of his enemy, "With me thou shalt be in fafe-guard.” 1 Sam.

་

xxii. 23.

CONTEMPLATION III.

On a SHEEP-FOLD.

UPON

the fide of yonder green hill ftands a fheep-fold, the bleatings of its fleecy inhabitants are highly grateful to my ear; and no less fo do they appear to be to their watchful fhepherd, who, for as early as it is, I behold, with chearful alacrity, mounting the hill, directly towards the fold. 'He calls to them in a familiar tone; and they feem to know his voice, for their bleatings grow more clamorous.

Now he opens the fold-door, and they ufher out all over the dewy pasture.-There let me a while leave him with his fleecy charge, and take a view of the Church, which is, in Scripture, compared to a fheepfold, John x. 16.; and of her Head, who

}

hath taken to himself the amiable name and character of a Shepherd, Pfal. xxiii. 1: John x. 14.

The church, as it were, is fet upon a hill, exposed to the view of all her enemies; but the Lord, her fhepherd, is a wall of fire round about her, and the glory in the midst thereof, Zech. ii. 5. fo that no wea pon that is formed against her, in the main, ever hath been, or fhall be able to profper, Ifa. liv. 17.

The fhepherd of that fold, I was just now noticing, is a watchful fhepherd; but in this refpect our Lord excels all other shepherds, for he not only attends to the wants of his people early, but he keeps them night and day, left any hurt them; nay, watches over them every moment, Ifa. xxvii. 3. He that keepeth Ifrael flumbereth not nor fleepeth, Pfal. cxxi. 4. their groans, cries, and prayers, are fweet bleatings in his ears, and to them he attends early in every time of need; for he knows their voice, and they know his, John x. 4. 14. whether he speaks to them in his mises or threatenings.

E

pro