slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither 'was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days; and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."* And again he himself saith: "I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out their lips, they shake their head, saying, he trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him, let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." [Psal. xxii. 6.] Ye see, beloved, what the pattern is that has been given to us. For if the Lord thus humbled himself, what should we do who are brought by(b) him under the yoke of his grace?

17. Let us be followers of those who went about in goat-skins and sheep-skins, preaching the coming of Christ. Such [we say] were Elias, and Flisæus, and Ezekiel the Prophets. And let us add to these such others as have received the like testimony. Abraham has been greatly witnessed of, having been called the friend of God. And yet he, stedfastly beholding the glory of God, says with all humility, "I am dust and

* Isai. liii. according to the Hebrew.

(3) δι αύτου

ashes."-[Gen. xviii. 27.] Again, of Job it is thus written: "that he was just and without blame, true; one that served God and abstained from all evil."[Job i. 1.] Yet he, accusing himself, says, "no man is free from pollution, no not though he should live but one day."-Job xiv. 4.] Moses was called faithful in all God's house, and by his conduct(e) the Lord punished Israel by stripes and plagues. And even this man, though thus greatly honoured, spake not greatly of himself; but when the oracle of God was delivered to him out of the bush, he said, "Who am I that thou dost send me? I am of a slender voice and a slow tongue."-[Exod. iii. 11.] And again he saith, "I am as the smoke of the pot."-[Exod. iv. 10.]

18. And what shall we say of David, so highly testified of in the holy Scriptures? To whom God said, "I have found a man after my own heart, David the son of Jesse, with my holy oil have I annointed him."-[Psal. lxxxix. 29.] But yet he himself saith unto God, "have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

(ε) MS. ἔκρινεν ὁ Θεος τ Ισραηλ διὰ τῶν μαςίδων.

Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt-offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."*

19. Thus has the humility and Godly fear of these great and excellent men recorded in the Scriptures, through obedience, made not only us, but also the generations before us, better; even as many as have received his holy oracles with fear and truth. Having therefore so many, and such great and glorious examples, let us return to that peace which was the mark that from the beginning was set before us : let us look up to the Father and Creator of the whole world, and let us hold fast to his glorious and exceeding gifts and benefit of peace. Let us consider and behold with the eyes of our understanding his longsuffering will, and think how gentle and patient he is towards his whole creation.

20. The Heavens moving by his appointment, are subject to him in peace. Day and night accomplish the courses that he has allotted unto them, not dis turbing one another. The sun and moon, and all the · several companies and constellations of the stars, run the courses that he has appointed to them in concord, without departing in the least from them. The fruitful earth yields its food plentifully in due season both to man and beast, and to all animals that are upon it, according to his will; not disputing nor altering any thing of what was ordered by him. So also the un

Psal. li. to ver. 17. according to the Hebrew.

fathomable and unsearchable floods of the deep, are i kept in by his command:(r) and the conflux of the vast sea being brought together by his order into its several collections, passes not the bounds that he has set to it; but as he appointed it, so it remains. For he said, "hitherto shalt thou come, and thy floods shall be broken within thee," [Job xxxviii. The ocean, unpassable to mankind, and the worlds that are beyond it, are governed by the same commands of their great master. Spring and summer, autumn and winter, give place peaceably to each other. The several quarters of the winds, fulfil their work in their seasons without offending one another. The everflowing fountains, made both for pleasure and health, never fail to reach out their breasts to support the life of men. Even the smallest creatures live together in peace and concord with each other. All these has the great Creator and Lord of all, commanded to observe peace and concord; being good to all; but especially to us who flee to his mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, and majesty, for ever and ever.-Amen.

2. Take heed, beloved, that his many blessings be not to us to condemnation, except we shall walk worthy of Him, doing with one consent what is good and pleasing in his sight. "The spirit of the Lord is a candle, searching out the inward parts of the belly," [Prov. xx. 27.] Let us therefore consider how near he is to us; and how that none of our thoughts, or reasonings which we frame within ourselves, are hid from him. It is therefore just that we should not forsake our rank, by doing contrary to his will. Let us choose to offend a few foolish and inconsiderate men, lifted up and glorying in their own pride, rather than God. Let us reverence our Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us; let us honour those who are set over us; let us respect the aged that are amongst

(r) Vid. Edit. Colomes. p. 53,

us, and let us instruct the younger men in the disci pline and fear of the Lord. Our wives let us direct to do that which is good. Let them shew forth a lovely habit of purity in all their conversation, with a sincere affection of meekness: let the government of their tongues be made manifest by their silence; let their charity be without respect to persons, alike towards all such as religiously fear God. Let their children be bred up in the instruction of Christ; and especially let them learn how great a power humility has with God; how much a pure and holy charity avails with him; how excellent and great his fear is; and how it will save all such as turn to him with holiness in a pure mind. For he is the searcher of the thoughts and counsels of the heart; whose breath is in us, and when he pleases, he can take it from us.

22. But all these things must be confirmed by the faith which is in Christ: for so he himself bespeaks us by the Holy Ghost, [Psal. xxxiv. 11, 17.] "Come ye children and hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there that desireth life, and loveth to see good days? keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips that they speak no guile. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and ensue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righte ous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cried, and the Lord heard him and de livered him out of all his troubles. Many are the troubles of the wicked, but they that trust in the Lord, mercy shall encompass them about."

23. Our all-merciful and beneficent Father hath. bowels of compassion towards them that fear him; and kindly and lovingly bestows his graces upon all such as come to him with a simple mind. Wherefore let us not waver, neither let us have any doubt in our hearts of his excellent and glorious gifts. Let that be far from us which is written, "miserable are the dou