and dew. And Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.

But hardly had he enjoyed the benefit of the gourd a day, when a worm, prepared by God, eat into the stem of the plant close to the root, and the sap being thus cut off, all the leaves and boughs above withered and perished. So that when the sun rose next morning, Jonah's head was as much exposed to its rays as ever. This made him more angry still, and he wished in himself to die, saying, "It is better for me to die than to live."

Now God chose by this matter of the gourd, to show Jonah the justness and the propriety of His dealings towards the Ninevites. If a gourd was of such value, how much more a whole city, containing, besides men and women, not less than six score thousand children, and a vast number of guiltless cattle. This is a short account of the history of Jonah; and on that part of it which is contained in the text, and refers to his gourd, I pass on to offer,

II. A FEW REFLECTIONS. It suggests many important ones, the chief of which appear to be the following:

That earthly comforts and earthly trials come from God. We read, verse 6,

That God prepared a gourd. Here we see to whom Jonah owed the comfort and shelter he enjoyed from this plant. He owed it all to God. He had to thank the Author and Giver of every blessing, temporal and eternal, for this act of kindness and consideration. And there is no one blessing, however trifling it may seem, which does not come to us from above. It is said, that it is God which

sendeth rain, and causeth the sun to shine. It is He that giveth fruitful seasons, and thus filleth men's hearts with joy and gladness. But we read, verse 7,

That God prepared a worm. Yes, a gracious God has worms as well as gourds in His storehouse, for His creatures' good; and the one are as necessary as the other. Trials and troubles as much come from God, and are as much intended for our good, as comforts and satisfactions. Now this we are apt to forget, or to doubt. We can thank God for sending us the gourd, but repine and murmur when He sends us the worm. Yet very often the latter is by far the greater blessing of the two. A regular and uninterrupted course of earthly prosperity-a sitting under the comfortable shadow of the gourd year after year, is indeed very pleasant to the body, but it is frequently most perilous to the soul. It has proved the ruin of many lost sinners; and therefore God in mercy stops the stream in its course, and withers the gourd in its growth. Some trouble and trial is sent to remind us that here we are but strangers and foreigners-that this is not our home -that happiness and enjoyment is not to be found in perfection any where on this side of Jordanand in no degree at all, but by those who make God their portion, and set their affections on things above. This leads me to remark,

That there is no gourd without some worm or another at its root. Worldly men find this as well as Christians. Remember the case of Haman, recorded Esther v. 11, 12, 13. Here was a man in full power, and pride, and prosperity-his gourd most flourishing and strong-and all the world

saying, 'What a happy man Haman must be!' But riches and honours do not make a man happy

do not give his soul contentment and peace. You are far more likely to find these in the cottage of the poor Christian, than in the palace of the ungodly great. Remember likewise the case of Ahab, recorded 1 Kings xxi. 2, 3, 4. Here was a king, who, if power and wealth conferred happiness, would have been the happiest man of his nation; yet see how small a worm spoiled his gourd. And in like manner all the men of this world find that their treasures are corruptible treasures, and their garments liable to be moth-eaten. And the Christian should bear in mind, that such is the character of every earthly good; and the closer he sits to them, and the more he sets his heart upon them, the greater will be his disappointment, and the more painfully will he feel it. Notice

The time when the worm is often sent. When the gourd, as in the case before us, is affording most comfort, and giving promise of longest continuance. It is at such seasons that it is often smitten and put in peril, if not destroyed. And why? Because it is at such seasons that it is most likely to become a snare and an idol to our hearts; most likely to withdraw our affections from God, and to make us worship the creature instead of the Creator. And notice again,

How God sends the worm-To the very root of the gourd. It is not merely a few of the leaves or branches that are smitten, but the whole plant; the whole fabric of our earthly comforts and worldly prosperity is endangered; the very springs of our personal and family enjoyments are threatened to be dried up. The Christian is very often

brought into deep waters, in which he cannot touch the ground, that he may feel his entire dependence on God, and cling with a firmer grasp to the arm of Christ, held out to keep him from sinking. But another reflection which occurs to our mind in reading this story is,

How prone we are unreasonably to rejoice when the gourd is flourishing, and to repine when it is withering and decaying. We read of Jonah, that he was exceedingly glad because of the gourd; but when he lost its shelter, that he was wicked enough to wish that he might die. How frequently is this the case with men! We are cheerful and happy when outward things go smooth with us, and cast down and dispirited when it is otherwise. This is, in fact, making our happiness to depend upon the state of our temporal affairs, and not on the state of our spiritual ones. And on the other hand, when God diminishes our comforts, or impairs our health, or takes away from us those we love, or in any other way sends the worm to the gourd; how hard do we find it to say, 66 The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." How prone are we to murmur and repine, and to charge God with unkindness and unfaithfulness! Yea, many in an hour of anguish, do go as far as Jonah, and wish themselves dead! Wicked and ungodly men, when any trial or trouble comes upon them, refrain not from cursing and swearing at themselves, or their friends, or any thing which comes in their way. Now remember the conduct of Paul and Silas in the gaol at Philippi, and mark the effect of genuine religion and lively faith upon people in the time of affliction. Their backs were smarting from the scourge,

and their feet were fast in the stocks, in the inner prison. Yet they prayed and sang praises unto God. Many can pray in affliction-it is only Christians who can give thanks then. Prayer is for all at such times; praise is for the friends of God, and believers on His Son Jesus Christ. This leads me to another reflection:

That there is a plant, better than any gourd of earthly prosperity, under the shadow of which we may live in peace and die in hope. That plant is Christ. Isaiah, chap. xxxii. 2. speaks of Him as a refuge from the storm, and a shadow from the heat; and Ezekiel xxxiv. 29. calls Him "a Plant of Renown." And the shelter and security which the Saviour gives to all Christians-to all whose sins are pardoned, and whose hearts are changed, is such as no gourd of earth can give. Earthly things yield comfort and pleasure only for a season; they are liable to continued interruption; they are sure to be cut short at last by the hand of death; and they leave those who have no other resource just at the time when the gourd failed Jonah-when the sun was hottest, and the wind was strongest; in short, when they most stand in need of succour and support. Not so with the Christian. "The Lord," said David, " is my rock and my fortress;" and a fortress is a place of far greater safety and comfort in the time of danger, than Jonah's hut.

It is our wisdom to make ourselves acquainted with this place of refuge, and to obtain an interest in the saving power of this gracious God. There are few who have not lived long enough in the world to know, that the soil of earth bears little or nothing else but a harvest of sin and suffering