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see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep." We see his wonders every where; the creation is full of them. In every place, in every condition of life, we may behold evident marks of almighty power and infinite wisdom; but they who live a seafaring life, have more evident marks than any other persons for they see the most wonderful display of the divine attributes. Upon the land we can scarce form an idea of what they feel and endure at sea, when at the word of God, "the stormy wind ariseth, which "lifteth up the waves thereof." The accidents of the storm, and the causes on which they depend, are here so justly represented, that it is not possible to see a more affecting picture. You may here behold distinctly and in beautiful order, the command of God-the action of the wind-the rage of the waves-and the distress of the mariners. God commands the wind to arise -the wind raises and lifts up the waves of the seathe waves beat furiously against the vessel-put her in danger-and this danger raises another tempest in the souls of the poor mariners. In this chain of causes and effects God holds the first place; for he commandeth the stormy wind, and then the wind lifteth the waves of the deep. Although the wind be nothing but air in motion, yet there is no agent in nature capable of acting with greater force and violence. The sea, in a perfect calm, appears to be one beautiful and even plain, smooth as the polished marble; but the wind no sooner begins to blow, than it is ruffled and agitated. And when it blows with might and fury, it tosses up the waves, and beats them one against another with such impetuosity, that the noise is incessant, and as loud as thunder. And then heaping wave upon wave, they here swell into lofty mountains, and there sink down into deep and horrible vallies. The natural weight of the water carries it down, and the violence of the storm raises it up, and by the opposition of these two jarring elements there is formed the most dreadful conflict, which is to be seen in the universe; even on the shore,

where you are safe, yet you cannot behold it without horror. But what must be their situation who are in the midst of the storm, and over whose heads the raging billows are breaking every moment? How great must be their distress, when they find their vessel become the sport of the winds and waves, and sometimes carried up to heaven, up high into the air, and presently down again into the deep? And to give us a strong image of the confusion of the mariners, the holy Spirit adds, that they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, tossed from one side to the other, thrown up and down, and reeling about, as unable to walk upright in the ship, as a drunken man is upon the land. In this distress they find the rudder, and the sails, and the oars, of no use. The fury of the wind and storm carry the vessel where they please, and the waves beating against her with all their might, in different parts, and in different directions, shake her strongest timbers, and make such wide leaks, into which the sea comes pouring in, that the affrighted mariners are at their wits end. All their wisdom is swallowed up. The light of reason cannot suggest to them any expedi ent, or if it could, yet the strength and arm of flesh are not able to carry it into execution. All hope of being saved is now taken away, and their souls are in the utmost fear and dread, and melt away because of the trouble, as it is here expressed-no stability is left, no courage remains. Their minds are agitated like the ocean, and in as much confusion: for besides the loss of the vessel, and of the goods, on which they set but too great a value, they can turn their eyes no way, but they see the waves ready to swallow them up, and death awaiting them on every side. No desired shore, no favourable haven appears. On earth there is no prospect of deliverance.

This is a short sketch of the holy Spirit's description, which, how briefly soever I may have represented it, is nevertheless perfectly expressive and sublime in itself, and will appear more so to them, who have seen

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a storm in its highest rage and fury: for if you have never seen one, you can form but very faint ideas of it. I judge thus from my own experience: for I have seen many storms from the shore, and thought I could have given a good description of them; but when I was afterwards really in one, and in danger, I then found that my former knowledge was very imperfect. To be in a storm at sea, is as different from seeing it from the shore, as a painted storm differs from a real one. It felt very differently to me from what it had ever done before; when I was in the midst of the waves, and was tossed up to heaven, and then down again to the deep. The sea ran so high, that I well remember, when our ship was down in the deep, between two waves, I could not see the top of the mast of a large vessel which came very near us during the storm. You may judge what a situation we were then in. believe the stoutest heart among you would have trembled upon this occasion. If you would know how you should have behaved, put yourselves in the same situa tion we were in. Suppose yourselves to have been several days in a troubled sea, tossed with winds and tempests, and at last all hopes of being saved began to fail. What do you think would be your sentiments, if the storm should still continue, the vessel should grow leaky and ready to sink, and instant death was before your eyes? If you could really suppose yourselves to be in this situation, you would want none of my arguments to persuade you to seek help from God in such a time of need. Would not you pray, and intreat him with strong crying and tears to come to your assistance? O with what earnestness would your souls implore and beg him to stretch out his merciful hand, and save you from perishing! let there then be raised in your hearts the same strong crying and tears, that you may be delivered from a more dreadful storm than what we have been considering. This tempest in the natural world is but a faint image of a much greater, which sin has occasioned in the spiritual world. The

one is but a painted storm compared to the other. And to this more terrible storm you are all subject. Every son of Adam being a sinner, is embarked on a troubled sea, where the winds and waves are contrary; for it must be remembered, that this description cannot be peculiar to sailors, because the whole Psalm is spiritual, it belongs to the redeemed of the Lord, and all his redeemed people do not literally go down to the sea in ships, nor do they meet with storms from the rage of winds and waves; and yet they are all called upon to be thankful for being delivered from some storm, consequently they were all in this storm before they were redeemed, and they were thrown into it by the same cause, which made them lose themselves in the wilderness-fall into the pit-sicken and pine away for want of appetite. Sin was the fruitful parent of all these miseries. And the storm which sin raises in the soul, is a spiritual tempest of which the natural is a picture. The holy Spirit intended the one should be a natural representation of the other. He gave us the outward image that we might in it see the likeness of an inward storm. And he himself in his own word has applied the outward image to represent these inward objects, and therefore we have his own infallible application of the text; wherein he supposes us all to be embarked upon a voyage to the haven of eternal rest. And we sailed thither on a smooth unruffled sea, until sin entered into the world, and raised the winds, and made the waves beat against us, and a furious storm darkened the face of the sky, and hid the desired haven from our sight. And here the holy Spirit begins his description" They who go down to the sea," into the ever moving, busy, agitated world, which sin has made like the troubled sea, "in ships," in worldly societies, opposed to the ark of the church, which is but one, "and do business in great waters," and are occupied in worldly business among the crowd, and in the bustle of worldly men. "These see the works of

the Lord, and his wonders in the deep,"-they see

a full display of his wonderful works in his manner of bringing these worldly people into distress: for he commandeth, all afflictions come by his order and appointment, this especially, which raiseth the stormy wind, which moveth the spirit of the world to oppose its own people, and lifteth up the waves thereof to distress them. Worldly men meet with a sea of troubles: for the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest: wave after wave beat against them, and swell and lift upthemselves still higher and higher, until the raging billows break over their heads. And when these afflictions come, they are so distressed, their minds are tossed and agitated, that they can find no rest. Sometimes they mount up to heaven, carried up and swelled with spiritual pride, then again they go down to the depths, sunk with distrust and despair-their soul melteth away, has no stability or courage left, because of the trouble. The trouble is so great, that the light of reason is put out. The boasted moral sense refuses to take the helm, and the rectitude and dignity of human nature dare not direct. The religion of nature, and the fitness of things, aided with all the graces and ornaments of the arts and sciences, and set off with the lustre of classical learning, cannot hinder them from reeling to and fro, and staggering like a drunken man. Nay, with all these learned and polite accomplishments, they are at their wits end, quite unable to find out any expedient to extricate them from their distress.

This is a true picture of man in his natural state. It is drawn by the spirit of God, and is the likeness of every son of Adam; for sin has thrown them upon this boisterous sea, and raised this furious storm against them, and the spirit of the world and the devil keep it up in all its fury, and drive its mighty billows over their heads. And they can do nothing to escape perishing in the deep waters. Nothing but death is before them. Oh may the God of mercy open your eyes to see your danger, that finding no help upon earth, you may be disposed to look up to him, from whom alone