condition of our first parents before they were affailed by the storms of temptation; the drowning mariners denote the deplorable state of mankind fince the fall, who are finking amidst the waves of guilt and woe; the tempeft overhead denotes the ftorm that howls over the head of every finner, in confequence of the violation of Jehovah's law. Sinai thunders forth its curfes, and flashes its lightnings around the finner's path, in order to show him his weakness, his guilt, and his danger. As the lightning points the drowning failor to the rock, fo the law directs or opens the way to Chrift, that the finner might be justified by faith in the atonement.

The rock, rifing in the troubled ocean, affording a fhelter from the fhipwreck, reprefents Chrift, the Rock of Ages, who has borne all the fury of the ftorm for man, and who, by his crofs, giveth life and light to a dying world. The penitent finner, feeling himself sinking in the mighty waters, and tremblingly alive to the dangers of the tempest above, and to the more fearful dangers of the rolling waves beneath, efcapes to the Rock, embraces the cross, and is safe, i. e., he believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, and is faved.

JESUS, lover of my foul,

Let me to thy bofom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempeft ftill is high.
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the ftorm of life is past,
Safe into the haven guide,
O receive my foul at last.

"And having done all, to ftand."-EPHES. vi. 13.
THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER.

The Chriftian hero here has made his ftand,
Obedient to his Captain's great command;
In panoply divine, equipped complete,
No danger dreads, no foe he fears to meet :
Truth wove the girdle that his loins adorn,
This bears him fcathless through the battle's ftorm.
A fenfe of pardon guards each vital part,
And forms the Breaftplate that defends his heart.
For brazen Greaves, obedience he takes,
Through thorny paths his onward progrefs makes.
"Hope of Salvation" is his helmet fair;
Though oft perplexed, it faves him from defpair.
He wields, and not in vain, a trufty fword,
A right good blade it is, Jehovah's word
The Spirit's weapon, 'twill each knot untie,
Each foe difarm, and make Apollyon fly:
O'er all the rest he grafps Faith's mighty fhield,
And onward rushes to the battle-field.

As foon as one enlifts himself as a foldier of Jefus Chrift, that moment the world becomes his enemy. It happens to him as it fell out to the Gibeonites; when they made peace with Jofhua, the neighbouring nations were highly offended, and faid to one another, "Come, let us unite our forces that we may fmite Gibeon, for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Ifrael."

But there are other foes, more mighty and fearful, against whom he has to contend. Satan, after 6000 years' practice in the art of destroying fouls, is a powerful opponent. "He goeth about as a roaring lion, feeking whom he may devour," for we wrestle not against flesh and blood— merely-but "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." "Wherefore," on this account, "take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to ftand."

There are two kinds of armour, offenfive and defenfive; one to attack the foe, the other to protect ourselves. It is remarkable, that but one weapon is mentioned by the Apostle as belonging to the offenfive kind, viz., the fword; all the reft are defenfive. Among the Grecian warriors there were at least nine different weapons with which they affailed their enemies, yet the Apostle thinks that for the Chriftian this is enough.

The Captain of our falvation has provided us with all that is neceffary for the Christian warfare. Is our head exposed to the affaults of the devil? he has furnished us with a "helmet" 'to guard it; this is called in another place, the hope of Salvation. This good hope prepares the foldier for the warfare, upholds him in it, and brings him off a conqueror. Is the heart liable to be pierced? there is a breastplate provided to protect it, it is the breastplate of Righteousness ; this is a consciousness not only of his own fincerity, but also of his favourable acceptance with God. He feels that he is honeft in his profeffion of attachment to the Saviour, and that Chrift, his Captain, acknowledges him for a true foldier.

The feet being exposed to injuries, a pair of brafs boots are given to protect them. It would not have answered any good purpose to protect the head, oftentimes, unless the feet likewise were provided for. If the feet were wounded, the foldier could not ftand to fight the foe, neither could he pursue him if conquered. The greaves fimply prompt obedience to the Captain's commands; with this, rough places become as plain, and the crooked as ftraight.

The girdle is given to keep the rest of the armour in its place, and to ftrengthen the loins. "Truth" accomplishes this for the Chriftian foldier. By this he discovers who are his enemies, their mode of attack, and the best way to refift them. A fhield alfo is provided; it is called

the field of faith, by which he is able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. Finally, a fword is put into his hands; with this he is to inflict deadly wounds on all his foes; it is called the Sword of the Spirit, because the word of God was infpired by the Holy Spirit. "Wherewithal fhall a young man cleanse his way, but by taking heed thereto according to thy word?" By the clear inftruction, by the powerful motives, and by the glorious encouragement of the word of God, the Chriftian foldier puts all his foes to flight.