great jeopardy at Ephefus,-where he had like to have been brought out to the theatre, to be devoured by wild beasts, and indeed had no human means to avert,—and confequently to escape it; and therefore, he tells them, that he had this advantage by it, that the more he believed he fhould be put to death, the more he was engaged by his deliverance, never to depend on any worldly truft, but only on God, who can refcue from the greatest extremity, even from the grave and death itfelf. For we would not, brethren, fays he, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Afia, that we were preffed out of measure, above our ftrength, infomuch that we defpaired even of life;-but we had the fentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raiseth the dead, who delivered us from fo great a death, and doth deliver, and in whom we truft that he will ftill deliver us.

And indeed a stronger argument cannot be brought for future truft, than the rememberance of past protection ;-for what ground or reafon can I have to diftruft the kindness of that

perfon, who has always been my friend and benefactor?

On whom can I better rely for affistance in the day of my distress, than on him who stood by me in all mine affliction?—and, when I was at the brink of deftruction, delivered me out of all my troubles? Would it not be highly ungrateful, and reflect either upon his goodness or his fufficiency, to diftruft that providence which has always had a watchful eye over me?-and who, according to his gracious promifes, will never leave me, nor forfake me; and who, in all my wants, in all my emergencies, has been abundantly more willing to give, than I to afk it. If the former and the latter rain have hitherto defcended upon the earth in due feason, and feed time and harvest have never yet failed;—why should I fear famine in the land, or doubt, but that he who feedeth the raven, and providently catereth for the fparrow, fhould likewise be my comfort?-How unlikely is it that ever he fhould fuffer his truth to fail?-This train of reflection, from the confideration of past mercies, is fuitable and natural to all mankind ;—

there being no one, who by calling to mind God's kindneffes, which have been ever of old, but will fee caufe to apply the argument to himself.

And though, in looking back upon the events which have befallen us, we are apt to attribute too much to the arm of flesh, in recounting the more fuccessful parts of them; saying,-My wifdom, my parts, and address, extricated me from this misfortune;-my forefight and penetration faved me from a fecond; -my courage, and the mightiness of my ftrength, carried me through a third :-However we are accustomed to talk in this manner, -yet whoever cooly fits down and reflects upon the many accidents (though very improperly called fo) which have befallen him in the courfe of his life,-when he confiders the many amazing turns in his favour,-fometimes in the most unpromifing cafes, and often

brought about by the most unlikely causes;— when he remembers the particular providences which have gone along with him, the many perfonal deliverances which have preserved him, the unaccountable manner in which he

has been enabled to get through difficulties, which on all fides befet him, on one time of his life, or the strength of mind he found himfelf endowed with, to encounter afflictions, which fell upon him at another period :where is the man, I fay, who looks back with the leaft religious fenfe, upon what has happened to him, who could not give you fufficient proofs of God's power, and his arm over him, and recount feveral cafes, wherein the God of Jacob was his help, and the Holy One of Ifrael his redeemer ?

Haft thou ever laid upon the bed of languifhing, or laboured under a grievous diftemper which threatened thy life? Call to mind thy forrowful and penfive spirit at that time; and add to it, who it was that had mercy on thee, that brought thee out of darknefs and the fhadow of death, and made all thy bed in thy fickness.

Hath the fcantinefs of thy condition hurried thee into great straits and difficulties, and brought thee almost to distraction?-Confider who it was that spread thy table in that wilderness of thought,-who was it made thy cup

to overflow, who added a friend of confolation to thee, and thereby fpake peace to thy troubled mind. Haft thou ever sustained any confiderable damage in thy ftock or trade ?— Bethink thyself who it was that gave thee a ferene and contented mind under those loffes. -If thou haft recovered,-confider who it was that repaired those breaches, when thy own fkill and endeavours failed:-call to mind whose providence has blessed them fince, -whofe hand it was that has fince fet a hedge about thee, and made all that thou haft done to profper.-Haft thou ever been wounded in thy more tender parts, through the lofs of an obliging husband?— -or haft thou been torn away from the embraces of a dear and promifing child, by its unexpected death?—

O confider, whether the God of truth did not approve himself a father to thee, when fatherlefs,- —or a husband to thee, when a widow,—and has either given thee a name better than of fons and daughters, or even beyond thy hope, made thy remaining tender branches to grow up tall and beautiful, like the cedars of Libanus.