Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"—Matt. viii. 23-27. And this was a wise Providence. It glorified the Son of God, by giving him an opportunity of manifesting himself as the Lord of the seas and of the winds. "Peace, be still," said the Lord, and the sea was as smooth as a pale of milk. This was the same power that spake the world into existence. This Providence was also for the good of the disciples. It increased their faith in the Son of God.

When the Lord's people sail, they should not fanatically suppose that Providence will certainly give them fine weather. If the Son of God experienced a storm, his people cannot plead exemption. But they have ground to pray for a prosperous voyage, and reason to expect that Providence will give it, if Divine wisdom has no purpose to serve by a tempest. The Lord does not put his people' to trial without necessity: if he presents dangers before their eyes, it is to excite them to call on him, and trust in his power and love. Jesus rebukes the fears of the disciples. Where was their faith? Was not Jesus at hand? And is not Jesus always

at hand with his people? Let them, then, with confidence call on him, Lord save us.

THE TWO GERGESENE DEMONIACS MEET JESUS. Matt. viii. 28.

"And when he was come to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time ?" How opportune is this meeting! Is this a lucky chance? Is it a wisely ordered Providence? What brought the demoniacs to meet Jesus? Was it intention in the men? They were mad; and though they had been as wise as Solomon, they knew nothing of the coming of Jesus. Was it the act of the demons with whom they were possessed? What power constrained them to meet their great enemy? Wicked men, in ignorance, do what the Lord appoints, and act freely. The demons, with their knowledge, do what they dislike. They obey and recognise Jesus. They seem to act freely, yet they do what must be against their desires and their interests. Who can understand the grounds of God's government of the angels that fell? They do his work, while they are his greatest enemies.

Many a child of God will here recognise his own picture. How many of the slaves of Satan, maddened with rage against the Son of God, by meeting him in his word are brought to soundness of

understanding! By chance they hear the gospel, and, though they may have gone to mock, their eyes are opened, and they are found sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed with his righteousness, and in their right mind. Happy meeting!

THE BARREN fig-tree blASTED.-Matt. xxi. 17-20.

Here is a concurrence of circumstances, which, in connexion with the conduct of Jesus on the occasion, no well-instructed Christian will call accidental. Was it in wrath, or in peevishness, that Jesus cursed the tree? Whatever was the cause of the barrenness of the fig-tree, was not the ultimate cause to be found in God himself? In man, all the guilt of sin is to be found in himself; but in the productions of the earth, the barrenness, as well as the fertility, is to be ascribed ultimately to God. In cursing the fig-tree, then, Jesus had a reference to spiritual barrenness, which is a just object of the divine displeasure, and which will be punished as it deserves. If, then, Jesus had this design in his rebuke of the barren fig-tree, the circumstances that led to the cursing of the tree must all be providential. "And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig-tree withered

away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree withered away!"—Matt. xxi. 17-20. The hungering of Jesus at that time was a providential circumstance. Why was he attacked with hunger, just at the spot where stood the barren fig-tree? Was it not to give him an occasion to seek fruit from the tree? Why was that fig-tree barren on that occasion? Was it not to afford an occasion for what Christ did at that time? Why was it the season that figs should be found on the trees? The time of gathering the figs had not yet arrived, and fruit should have been on the tree, had it been good. Does not every circumstance, even in this trifling matter, that afforded illustration to the things taught by Jesus, appear providentially arranged for the purpose?

THE DEATH OF CHRIST PROVIDENTIALLY ACCOM

PLISHED. Matt. xxvi. 14.

The death of Jesus was foreordained, and the instruments in sovereignty appointed. Yet they did the deed with wicked hands and a guilty mind. "Him," says Peter, "being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." These two things must be in harmony. But who can reconcile them? Presumption objects, and presumption in vain attempts a reply. Speculations on such a subject are fit only for Milton's devils. Men of God ought to abhor discussions of this kind

as they do the gates of hell. What God has said, let us confidently receive: beyond what he has said, let us not dare to inquire. Christ must die by the appointed instruments: these instruments acted wickedly in what they were appointed to do. This much is said. How these things can be so is not said, and it is vain to attempt the solution. An attempt to solve is not only vain but impious. It invades the prerogative of God, and presumes to comprehend what is incomprehensible. But the objector rages and blasphemes; and shall we do nothing to stop his mouth? Yes, stop his mouth with proving the truth by Scripture, according to the force of language. Grind him to powder if he perverts. But if he will not submit to receive what God testifies on his own authority, leave him to his blasphemy. If he blasphemes the character which God has given of himself, there is a day appointed for his judgment, when vengeance will be executed on all "the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

As Jesus was to die by guilty hands, his death must be accomplished providentially. Had God commanded the Jews to kill Jesus, they would not have been guilty for executing the command. But it was to be effected by wicked counsel and by wicked hands. The chief priests, then, were given over to such folly and hardness of heart as to seek to kill him; and Judas was given over to covetousness, that he might sell him. "Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief