sessed by an evil spirit, who are filled with laughter for an hour together.

Others are reserved, gloomy, and sullen, like those possessed of a dumb devil.

Others are given up to work all uncleanness with greediness, like some persons in a mad-house, who will play with their excrements.

Some are led into such a thirst for money, that they are like some persons who are worth thousands, and yet go out of their mind, owing to a continual fear of coming to want, which drowns men in destruction and perdition.

Some are driven to such desperate rebellion as to defy God himself, and threaten to plead with him at the day of doom.

But there are others who are given up to a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, like those in a mad-house whom we call raving mad.

While some have been so influenced by him that was a murderer from the beginning, that they have persecuted the saints, even unto blood, and that wilfully, like the apostate Julian; and such souls imitate those mad persons, who are always watching to do mischief by violence, either to themselves or others; and many of this last description, like Judas, go out of the world by suicide. But, whatever kind of spirit it may be that influences this great transgressor, it is a kind that goeth not out by prayer and fasting; for, whereever the seven spirits, which are more wicked than

the first, re-enter, the last state of that man is worse than the first. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."

XIV.

GREAT EXPLOITS BY SIMPLE MEANS.

JUDGES, XV. 16.

"And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men."

THOSE great men of God who have appeared in the world at different times, and who have cut such a figure and performed such wonders upon earth, both in the antediluvian world, in the age of the patriarchs, and under the former dispensation, all appeared as personating, representing, and introducing, one greater, that is, Christ Jesus, in whom all their offices and characters meet and centre.

Moses represents him as Mediator; Aaron as High Priest of our profession; Joshua as Captain of our salvation; the Judges as Judge of quick and dead; the prophets as the great Prophet of his church; David as King of Israel; Solomon as Prince of Peace and Builder of the temple; and Samson as Israel's great Deliverer.

There was an almighty power put forth and displayed in the conception and birth of this hero; the Angel of the great council, the Lord himself, reveals it to the wife of Manoah, who was by na

ture barren. The Lord tells her this, "Behold, now, thou art barren, but thou shalt conceive and bear a son:" hence it is plain that Samson was a child, or an heir of promise; and, as he was to spring from one who was by nature barren, it is as plain that the power of God was put forth to make that barren tree bear. Christ also was the promised seed, and a greater power was displayed in the wonderful conception of him.

Samson was to be a Nazarite to God, and Jesus was to be called Netzer, the branch, the branch of the Lord, which is beautiful and glorious; sanctified and devoted to the service of God from the womb.

"And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of God began to move him at times in the camp of Dan." In this also he was a type of him who had grace poured into his lips, and who is blessed for evermore, and who at twelve years old was so moved by the Spirit to speak as to astonish the Jewish doctors with his understanding and answers.

Samson sees a woman of Timnah, a Philistine, whom he loved, and desires his father and his mother to get her for him to wife. This was contrary to the law of God; but God is above all law, for even this thing was of the Lord, Judges xiv. 4. We know that there were women enough in Israel; but this thing must be done to represent what his antitype would do, who has done the

same thing. Christ sees the elect Gentiles, and falls in love with them; and he desired his Father and his mother to get them for him to wife. Well, says the Father, "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Psalm," ii. 8. Christ desires his mother, gospel Zion, the Jewish church, to send forth Barnabas and Paul to the Gentiles; and she did so, and defrayed their expenses in the work; "They went forth for his name's sake, taking nothing of the Gentiles ;" and they espoused the Gentiles to a good husband, and presented them as a chaste virgin to Christ.

But in Samson's courtship there was a lion in the way; but Samson rent him as he would rend a kid. And there was also a lion in Christ's way, the old roaring lion of the bottomless pit, who roared sadly against him in the hearts of his persecutors; but the Saviour destroyed him who had the power of death, that is the devil. And there was a young lion that roared against Jesus in the ministry of Paul, I mean that savage beast, the pagan Roman empire. But, saith Paul, "I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." And both were soon rent. derers were converted at the preaching of Peter, Acts ii. 41; and the Roman lion was at a long run rent, and the empire under Constantine became christian.

Many of the Lord's mur

Samson returns and finds honey in the carcase of the lion; and so does the true Deliverer of Is