and unprovided for, What will become of them? Where will they find a friend when I am gone, who will stand up for them, and plead their cause against the wicked?

Bleffed GOD! to thee, who art a father to the fatherless, and a huf band to the widow,-I intruft them.

Haft thou ever fuftained any confiderable fhock in thy fortune? or, Has the scantinefs of thy condition hurried thee into great ftraits, and brought thee almost to distraction? Confider what was it that spread a table in that wilderness of thought,who made thy cup to overflow? Was it not a friend of confolation who stepped in,

faw thee embarraffed with tender pledges of thy love, and the part

ner of thy cares,-took them under his protection?-Heaven! thou wilt reward him for it!--and freed thee from all the terrifying apprehenfions of a parent's love.

Haft thou

But how fhall I ask a question which must bring tears into fo many eyes?-Hast thou ever been wounded in a more affecting manner ftill, by the lofs of a most obliging friend,-or been torn away from the embraces of a dear and promifing child by the ftroke of death?-bitter remembrance! nature droops at it but nature is the fame in all conditions and lots of life. A child thrust forth in an evil hour, without food, without raiment, bereft of inftruction, and the means

of its falvation, is a fubject of more tender heartaches, and will awaken every power of nature:-- -as we have felt for ourselves,-let us feel for CHRIST'S fake-let us feel for theirs: and may the GOD of all comfort blefs you. Amen.

But thou, when thou art bidden, go and fit down in the lowest room, that when be that bad thee cometh, he may fay to thee, Friend, go up higher, then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them who fit at meat with thee: for whosoever exalteth himself, fhall be abafed; and be that bumbleth himSelf, Shall be exalted.

T is an exhortation of our SAVI

IT

OUR's to Humility, addreffed by way of inference from what he had. faid in the three foregoing verfes of the chapter; where, upon entering, VOL. IV.

D

into the house of one of the chief

Pharifees to eat bread, and marking how small a portion of this neceffary virtue entered in with the several guefts, discovering itself from their choofing the chief rooms, and most diftinguished places of honour;-he takes the occafion which fuch a behaviour offered, to caution them against Pride;-ftates the inconvenience of the paffion;fhews the disappointments which attend it; -the dif grace in which it generally ends; in being forced at laft to recede from the pretenfions to what is more than our due; which, by the way, is the very thing the paffion is eternally prompt. ing us to expect. When, therefore, thou art bidden to a wedding, fays