stored the withered hand of an infirm man, he had even raised the dead. And were not these proofs enough that he was a teacher sent from God, and having divine power, the power of God? Yet these perverse and obstinate men called for more proofs. They wanted to see him coming directly with the clouds of Heaven: they wanted to see that particular sign, though God knows, they had signs enough already. A prophet (one you know who sees things, to happen afterwards, through the power and will of God) had said that the Saviour would come with the clouds of Heaven. And so he will, when he comes to judge the living and the dead. But these people wanted to see him come in this way at once. But this was not so ordered by God. He had given them signs enough of his truth without this, and they should have been been satisfied. He therefore tells them, that an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after such a sign: that is, a people who were wicked in their thoughts and

principles, and tried to drown reflection by starting these objections, an adulterous people, says he, who, though they had entered into a state of agreement with God, just as married people promise to keep to éach other always, yet committed adultery against him by breaking this agreement, and joining themselves to the devil and his wicked angels. To so obstinate and wrongheaded a people, he says, no sign should be given but the sign of the prophet Jonas. Qur blessed. Lord means by these words his resurrection, his rising again from the grave, and tells them, that that sign of his being the Son of God would be given to them, and that sign would be enough. You must know that Jonas was a prophet sent by God to the people of a city called Nineveh, to order them to repent of their great wickedness, lest that wickedness should be the cause of their ruin. The Prophet, however, did not obey his God: he was afraid to go to so great and powerful a people, and carry them such dreadful

news. He had not trust enough in his God, who can protect and save all his servants. He therefore went to a place where he found a ship, and took his pas sage in that ship in order to escape from the presence of the Lord. Our God is God both by sea and by land: he therefore sent a dreadful storm which was likely to destroy the ship. When the people on board saw so great an evil come upon them, they asked Jonah, whom they knew to be a prophet, to pray to God for them, and then cast lots in order to see, if they could, for whose sake God was so angry with them. The lot fell upon Jonah. They then begged him to tell them who and what he was, and why this evil was come upon them. He told them who he was: and upon their asking him again what they should do to make the sea calm, he directed them to throw him into the sea, for the great tempest had come upon them on his account. They were at first unwilling to do it, for they appear to have been a humane peo

ple, and to have feared God. They entreated God to pardon them in what they did, and then threw Jonah into the sea, which immediately ceased from raging. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish which swallowed up Jonah; and he remained in the fish's belly three days and three nights. However, God seeing that he would repent, kept him alive in that state, and in consequence of his prayers and sorrows, most wonderfully caused the fish to vomit him up on the dry land. Our Saviour therefore tells his enemies, that the same sign should be given to them, for he would lie three nights and three days in the earth, and would then rise from it alive. This, you will find, was the case: for if you continue to attend to me, you will hear of our Saviour's being put to death, and then buried, and then on the third day, rising again from the grave. Yes! my friends, you will hear of this wonderful thing, you will hear, that your Saviour conquered death, even in his own

gloomy grave.

You will hear that the Lord of life could not be holden in bonds

by death. You will hear, that he lay in the grave, and rose again, to shew us that he has power to raise us up also. You will be taught, that Christ is risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that sleep. You will be taught, that where he is, you, if you live and die like Christians, will be also; and that you must, during all your cares and labours, set your affection, and your thought, and your love on Heaven, that when Christ, who is

life, shall appear, you also may appear with him in glory.

Our Saviour goes on with this sad saying. The men of Nineveh, says he, shall rise up in judgment with the people of this generation, and shall condemn them because they repented at the preaching 'of Jonas, and behold, a greater than Jonas is here-even the Son of God. The men of Nineveh did indeed repent: they prayed,