1. Praife, Oye fervants of the LORD, praife the name of the LORD. 2. Bleed be the name of the LORD, from this time forth, and for evermore.

Chriftians are the "fervants" of Jefus Chrift; and a moft delightful part of their fervice it is to“ praise? his holy and faving "name" in the church, which now useth this Pfalm among others, and with it "bleffeth the name" of her Lord and Saviour, from age to age. The Pfalmift wifhed and prayed that this might be done, and he forefaw that it would be done, while the world fhould laft, upon earth, and afterwards" for evermore," in heaven.

3. From the rifing of the fun unto the going down of the fame, the LORD's name is to be praised; or, is praifed. 4. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

At the diffufion of the Gofpel through the world, the name of Chrift was praised" from the east to the "weft," in churches every where planted by the Apoftles and their fucceffors: and the grand fubjects of joy and triumph among believers were, the fuperiority of their Mafter over the "heathen nations," and their idols; the exaltation of "his glory above "the heavens," and all the powers therein: the might of his arm and the majefty of his kingdom.,

5. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high? 6. Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in earth.

Highly as our Lord is exalted above this fyftem, above these heavens and this earth of ours, yet he condefcendeth to regard every thing that paffeth here, and to make us, the inhabitants of this lower world,

and,

and, for our fakes, all the other creatures in it, the objects of his peculiar care, and paternal love.

7. He raifeth the poor out of the duft, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 8. That he may fet him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

Such is his mercy to the poor fons of Adam in their fallen eftate, that from the lowest and most abject condition, from the pollutions of fin, and from the dishonours of the grave, he raiseth them to righteousness and holinefs, to glory and immortality; he fetteth them on high, with the inhabitants of the heavenly Jerufalem, "with the princes of his peo

ple," the leaders of the armies above, with angels and archangels before his throne. What is the exaltation of the meaneft beggar from a dunghill to an earthly diadem, when compared with that of human nature from the grave to the throne of God? Here is honour worthy our ambition; honour, after which all are alike invited to afpire: which all may obtain, who ftrive worthily and lawfully; and of which, when once obtained, nothing can ever deprive the poffeffors.

9.

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children Praife ye the LORD.

In the facred hiftory of the Old Teftament, we meet with frequent inftances of barren women, who were miraculoufly made to bear children. Ifaac, Jofeph Samplon, and Samuel, were thus born of Sarah, Rachel, the wife of Manoah, and Hannah. To these may be added, from the history of the New Tefta ment, the inftance of Elizabeth, the wife of Zacha rias, and mother of St. John the Baptift. Thefe examples

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amples may be confidered as preludes to that marvellous exertion of divine power, whereby the Gentile Church, after fo many years of barrennefs, became, in her old age, "a fruitful parent of children, and "the mother of us all.". Wherefore it is written, Sing, O barren, thou that didft not bear; break "forth into finging, and cry aloud, thou that didft "not travail with child: forore are the children. "of the defolate, than the children of the married "wife, faith the LORD." Ifa. liv. 1. Gal. iv. 27.

XXIII DAY. EVENING PRAYER,

PSALM CXIV.

ARGUMENT.

This is another of the Pfalms appointed by our church to be read on Eafter-Day. It celebrates the Exodus of Ifrael from Egypt, and the miracles wrought for that people, prefiguring the Redemption of our nature from fin and death, and the wonders of mercy and love wrought for us by Jefus Chrift.

1. When Ifrael went out of Egypt,the house of Jacob from a people of firange language; 2. Judah was his, that is, God's fanctuary, and Ifrael his dominion.

When Jehovah delivered Ifrael from the bondage of Egypt, he chofe them for his peculiar people; his prefence refided in their camp, as in a "fanctuary,"

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"tuary," or temple; and he ruled them, as an earthly king exercifeth fovereignty in his "dominions." This world, and the prince of this world, are to us, what Egypt and Pharaoh were to Ifrael. The redemption of our nature, by the refurrection of Chrift, anfwereth to their redemption by the hand of Mofes. When we are baptifed into the death and refurrection of our Lord, we renounce the world, it's pomps and vanities; and fhould, therefore, quit it's corrupt "language,” manners, and cuftoms, with as much alacrity and expedition, as "the family of Jacob" left thofe of Egypt. We are the fanctuary, the temple," in which Christ dwelleth by his Spirit; we are the fubjects of his fpiritual "kingdom;" we are his peculiar people; in one word, we are his "Church," and fucceed, as fuch, to all the titles and privileges formerly conferred on Ifrael.

3. The fea faw it and fled; Jordan was driven back. Although forty years intervened between the two events here mentioned, yet, as the miracles were of a fimilar nature, they are spoken of together. In the paffage of Ifrael through the red fea we may contemplate our paffage from a death of fin to a life of righteousness, through the waters of baptifm; as our tranflation from Death temporal to life eternal is figured by their entrance into the promifed land, through the river Jordan. The waters in both cafes are poetically reprefented as fenfible of their Creator's prefence; and by their retiring, and opening a path for the people of God, we are taught, that if we

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continue faithful, all obftructions will be removed in our way to heaven.

..4. The mountains ripped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

The tremors of mount Sinai and the neighbouring hills, when the law was given, afforded fome fpecimen of that power which was afterwards exerted in the overthrow of idolatry, and the cafting down of every high thing, that exalted itself against the Gofpel at it's publication. "See, therefore, that ye re"fufe not him that fpeaketh: for if they efcaped "not, who refused him that spake on earth, much more fhall not we escape, if we turn away from him "that speaketh from heaven; whofe voice then fhook "the earth: but now he hath promifed, faying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but alfo hea"ven." Heb. xii. 25.

5. What ailed thee, O thou fea, that thou fleddeft?. Thou, Jordan, that thou was driven back? 6. Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs? 7. Tremble thou earth at the prefence of the LORD, at the prefence of the God of Jacob.

If the divine prefence hath fuch an effect upon in-. animate matter, how ought it to operate on rational. and accountable beings? Let us be afraid, with an holy fear, at the prefence of God, in the world by his Providence, and by his Spirit in our confciences; fo that we may have hope and courage in the day when he fhall arife to shake terribly the earth; when every island shall fly away, and the mountains fhall "be no more found." Rev. xvi. 20.

8. Which