read to him which recited his deliverance, by means of Mordecai, from a dangerous conspiracy, he inquired, what reward had been conferred on his deliverer for this service; at which critical moment, Haman appeared in the outer court, to speak to the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for the purpose. Upon his admittance, being asked, What shall be done to the man whom the king delighted to "honour? and having answered according to his own ambitious wishes, he was commissioned to do all that honour to Mordecai which he imagined would have been done to himself; and when he had discharged this mortifying office, was hanged upon the gallows he had prepared for his adversary. The sanguinary edict he bad obtained against the Jews at large, was counteracted by another; and in every province, this devoted nation had joy and gladness, and many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them. That such an extraordinary coincidence of circumstances, as we have here stated, could have

providence, no man can suppose whose judgment is governed by the established laws of probability. We have a more agreeable and domestic instance of this particular direction in the story of Abraham's servant, when he went to seek a wife for his young master Isaac. Upon his arrival at the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia, we are told, “He made his camels to kneel down without the city, by a well of water, at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham: behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: and let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: Let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy, servant Isaac : and • thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness to my master. And it came to

pass before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out that was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me (I pray thee) drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink, And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. And it came to pass as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ear-ring, of. half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold: and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell

house for us to lodge in And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bore unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him, we have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren”.” There is so much simplicity and nature, such evident traces of divine conduct in this little patriarchal story, that I could not forbear to recite it at length. The providence of God in the ordinary course of the world, though less marked and conspicuous, is no less real; though it lie concealed under the operation of general laws, framed with such incomprehensible skill as to contain provisions for the smallest events, or hide itself under the exercise of human policy and prudence, its efficacy is

still the same.; even the sins and follies of wen, by its secret conduct, accomplish the ends of infinite wisdom and holiness.

Thus the divine superintendence, though generally unperceived and disregarded, is unremitting and universal, comprehending equally the private affairs of individuals, and the general interests of nations. The scriptures represent the Most High as ruling in the kingdom of men, and giving it to whomsoever he will*; as planting and building up a people, and again for their sins plucking up and destroying them-f-. And we have before seen, that it was usual with the most eminent heathen legislators, to pre^ face their laws with observing, That every citizen otight first to be persuaded, that the gods are the masters and rulers of the world, and that all things are under their power and provu dence.

If men held a nearer converse with the Deity, they would enjoy a quicker perception of hjs hand in all things; where they now can see only nature and human agency,