unto us his Gospel, who dwelleth in us by his Spirit, and who, by that Spirit, maketh us more than conquerors over our fpiritual adverfaries?

6. Whatsoever the LORD pleafed, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the feas, and all deep places.

The pre-eminence of Jehovah above the gods of the nations is evinced by this confideration, that he, at the beginning, created and formed thofe powers of nature, whofe operations in the heavens, the earth, and the waters, led the heathen world, after it had lost the knowledge of the Creator, to adore the creature as independent. Let us praife him, who, in the intellectual, as in the material world, is Lord and King; who is obeyed by the angels in heaven, ferved by the church upon earth, and feared by the fpirits imprisoned in deep places beneath.

7. He caufeth the vapours to afcend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treafuries.

They who in old time paid their devotions to the elements, imagined thofe elements to be capable of giving or withholding rain at pleafure. Therefore we find the prophet Jeremiah reclaiming that power to Jehovah, as the God who made and governed the world. "Are there any among the Vanities of the "Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the Heavens

give showers? Art not thou he, O Jehovah our "God? Therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou "haft made all thefe things." Jer. xiv. 22. Among the Greeks and Romans we meet with a Jupiter poffeffed of the thunder and the lightning, and an Æodus ruling over the winds. The Pfalmift teacheth us

to

to restore the celeftial artillery to it's rightful owner. Jehovah, the God of Ifrael, and the Creator of the universe, contrived the wonderful machinery of light and air, by which vapours are raised from the earth, compacted into clouds, and diftilled in rain. At his command the winds are fuddenly in motion, and as fuddenly at reft again; we hear the found, but cannot tell whence they come, or whither they go; as if they were taken from secret storehouses of the Almighty, and then laid up, till their fervice was required again. The fame idea God himself is pleased to give us, in the book of Job, where he defcribeth the inftruments of his power, as fo many weapons of war in the arsenal of a mighty prince. "Haft

"thou entered into the treasures of the fnow? Or haft "thou seen the treasures of the hail which I have re"ferved against the time of trouble, against the day " of battle and war? By what way is the light part

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ed, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? "Who hath divided a water courfe for the overflow

ing of waters? or a way for the lightning of "thunder, to cause it to rain on the earth?" Job xxviii. 22, &c. It is a great inftance of the divine wisdom and goodness, that lightning should be accompanied by rain, to soften it's rage, and prevent it's mischievous effects. Thus, in the midst of judgment, does God remember mercy. The threatenings in his word against finners are like lightning; they would blaft and fcorch us up, were it not for his promifes made in the fame word to penitents, which, as a gracious rain, turn aside their fury, refreshing and comforting our affrighted spirits.

8. Who fmote the first born of Egypt, both of man and beast. 9. Who fent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his fervants.

Egypt was the theatre of the grand contest between the God of Ifrael and the gods of the heathen. The fuperiority of the former over the latter was fhewn in every poffible way by the miracles of Mofes, which demonstrated all the powers of nature to be under the dominion of Jehovah, and to act at his command, fo that, inftead of being able to protect, they were made to torment and deftroy their deluded votaries. See more on Pf. Ixxviii. 44, &c. The objects of a man's fin frequently become, in the end, the inftruments of his punishment.

10. Whofmote great nations, and flew mighty kings; 11. Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bafhan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan: 12. And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Ifrael his people.

The victories gained by Ifrael over Sihon and Og, in their paffage to Canaan, and afterwards over the idolatrous kings of that country, are more-proofs of the fame point. For Ifrael therefore conquered, because Jehovah fought for them, and put them in poffeffion of that good land, when the iniquity of it's old inhabitants was full, and cried to heaven for vengeance. The enemies we have to encounter, in our way to the promised inheritance, will alfo, if vigoroufly opposed, fall before us. "The kingdom of "heaven fuffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." But it is God who fighteth for us, and

with

with us, who giveth us the victory, and putteth us in poffeffion, through our Lord Jefus Chrift.

13. Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations. 14. For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his fervants.

By the destruction of Pharaoh, with his Egyptians, and by the battles and victories of Jofhua; much more, by the overthrow of the spiritual Pharaoh, with his infernal hoft, and by the battles and victories of the true Joshua, Jehovah hath gotten him glory, and his name is magnified in the church, from age to age. The people whom he hath redeemed, may, indeed, for the chaftifement of their iniquities, be fometimes delivered into the hands of their enemies, and oppreffed by them. But it is only to fhew them their tranfgreffions, and lead them to repentWhen this effect is wrought, he is always ready to judge them," to plead and avenge their caufe; he "repenteth him" of the evil, and averteth it; he is entreated for the land, and becometh gracious to his fervants.

ance.

15. The idols of the heathen are filver and gold, the work of men's hands. 16. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they fee not. 17. They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. 18. They that make them are like unto them: fo is every one that trufteth in them.

In these verses is fet forth the difference between the God of Ifrael, and the idols of the nations, as alfo between the worshippers of each; all tending to

VOL. II.

Gg

confirm

" I

confirm the truth of what was afferted, ver. 5. "know that the LORD is great, and that our LORD is "above all gods." As the fame words occur, Pf. cxv. 4, &c. the reader is referred thither for the explication of them.

19. Bless the LORD, Ohoufe of Ifrael: blefs the LORD, O houfe of Aaron: 20. Bless the Lord, O houfe of Levi ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD. 21. Bleffed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerufalem. Praife ye the LORD.

He who proved himself fuperior to the objects of ancient idolatry, is no lefs fuperior to every object on which deluded man can place his affections. The Lord gave, and the Lord will take them away. Let "the houfe of Ifrael," therefore, and "the fons of "Aaron," the church and the minifters thereof, let all who "fear the Lord," blefs and praise his holy name in the temple here below, until they fhall be admitted to do it for evermore, in that which is above.

XXVIII DAY. EVENING PRAYER.

PSALM CXXXVI.

ARGUMENT.

This is a delightful hymn of praise and thankfgiving to Jehovah, 1-3. God of gods and Lord of lords, for the wonders 4-9. of Creation, 10—26. of Providence and Grace; which were probably celebrated in due order

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