It appears hence, that Paul had been favoured with a divine extraordinary foresight, so as to foretell and warn them of their present danger, and that it was in answer to his prayer to God that the crew was saved.

"Wherefore," continues he, "take courage; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit, we must be cast

upon a certain island."

Shortly after it follows; "And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying; This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried, and continued fasting, having taken nothing:" that is, not that they had really tasted nothing for fourteen days, an abstinence which the human frame could not have supported; but during the fourteen days since they had been at sea, and the continuance of the storm, they had never had any set meal, snatching a morsel as they could get it, and as their incessant toiling would suffer them.

This is the meaning of the like strong language in other writings; and so it is said of John the Baptist, "that he came neither eating nor drinking." (Matth. xi. 18.)

Though

all

all intended by it, was, he was a prophet who led an abstemious retired life.

you,

"Wherefore I pray you," concludes he, "to take some meat; for this is for your health; for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat."

Such narratives as these of the divine interposition in favour of his servants chosen to execute his great designs, give a solemnity to the sacred history, by which it affects us be yond any other, and attracts our notice; and the more when delivered in so natural a way, and so intermixed with the other common events of life, as leaves no doubt of the truth of the relation.

And the exhibiting in the same way, without design, the zeal and piety of characters like that of Paul, thus drawn out by the occasion, is more instructive and exciting to us than the finest moral precept; whilst, at the same time, we are edified with observing the

dignity

dignity and importance which the apostle's dauntless courage and innocence, joined to the extraordinary protection of the divine Being, gave him in the sight of those that were with him, though in the condition of a prisoner, advantages which he would not fail to make use of for the great end for which they were given him, to be serviceable to the utmost of his power to all around him, in bringing them to be acquainted with the one true God, and his purposes of goodness for all his creatures.

The words prefixed to my discourse lead us to make some reflections on that public act of devotion, which he here performed before the whole ship's company, in the name of himself and them all. "And when Paul had spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. And we were in all, in the ship, two hundred three score and sixteen souls."

I.

And herein I would observe, in the first place, we are reminded of the duty of giving solemn

solemn thanks to Almighty God daily at our meals.

In this the disciple copied after the example of his divine Master.

Of whom we read, that when he fed many thousands in a desert place two several times by a miracle, (Matth. xiv. 19. xv. 36.) he blessed, or gave thanks to God beforehand; entreating him, probably, for we are not told the words of his prayer,-entreating the Almighty Father to multiply the small provision before them, so as to be a sufficient sustenance for that vast multitude, and beseeching him to inspire them all with thankfulness for that and for all his benefits; and especially to make them mindful of that better food from heaven, which he came to deliver to men: his holy doctrines, which would recommend them to the divine favour, and qualify them to live for ever!

We have a similar instance of our Lord's manner at a more private family-meeting, as it were, which shows his constant custom; in what passed between him and the two disciples going to Emmaus, when, as St. Luke tells us ; (xxiv. 30.) "It came to pass, as he sat at meat

with

with them, he took bread, and (blessed God, or) gave thanks."

Thus did the holy Jesus habituate himself to refer every thing to God, as coming from him, even his ordinary food, and thank him for it; and thereby he teaches us our duty, and a similar conduct.

In one of his epistles, our apostle himself inculcates this duty in an indirect but very strong manner. It is in 1 Tim. iv. 3, 4, 5, where, speaking by inspiration of the corrup tions of the gospel in future times, and particularly of men's placing their religion in abstaining from particular. kinds of meats, he remarks; That "to every creature of God, wholsome food, of whatever sort, is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word of God, and by prayer."

God's creatures, then, or the various kinds of salutary provision which he has made for our bodily support, are sanctified to us, or set apart for our use; our use; i. e. we are entitled to the enjoyment of them, by prayer and thanks to our Maker for them. Without this, in the apostle's account, they are not sanctified to

us;