mifes; a conftellation, which fhines with a heavenly luftre, and, in the radiant affemblage, that which composes the text, shines like a star of the first magnitude,-I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. This I take, in its full extent, to be a divine ray of the latter day glory. 'Tis true, the firft drops of this heavenly shower fell on the day of Pentecoft, which was to prepare and bring things forward, and which St. Peter takes particular notice of on that memorable day, and quotes the paffage, with which it is connected, at large. Nevertheless, I look upon the glorious shower which is yet to come, to be that which is intended to mature all things, and to bring on a general harvest ; to bring on universal subjection to the Son of God. This will accompany the general spread of the Gospel, and will give the amazing fuccefs.-To illuftrate this a little more clearly, it may be proper, FIRST, to confider the reality of this promise. SECONDLY, the grand end for which it fhall be accomplished. LASTLY, make fome improvement. FIRST, I am to confider the reality of this promife. 1. Confider we the wisdom, power, and the veracity of the Promifer. He is wife, and says nothing at random. He views, and that clearly, all events, and perfectly knows what fhall happen, to the remotest ages; so that nothing can come by chance, or unexpected, seeing he knows the causes of all events, and what their confequences will be. The Pfalmift had a very clear view of this when he faid, My fubftance was not hid from thee, when I was made in fecret, and cu riously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine yes did fee my fubftance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there were none of them.*. Now he that thus furveyed all the parts of David in a ftate of non-existence, views all men and angels; things in heaven, things in earth, or hell, in the very fame manner, from eternity to eternity: he being God, therefore, all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 2. BUT among poor finite beings, and efpecially fuch as dwell in houses of clay, it is not always poffible to accomplish what they know; their power is furprifingly limited, and, therefore, are often fo checked, that they cannot perform their enterprizes: and, indeed, it is well that it is fo-otherwise, what a scene of calamity, what a region of horror would the world be!-But there is no limiting the Holy One of Ifrael, feeing he ruleth in the armies of heaven above, and doth what he pleaseth in this lower world; so that none can ftay his hand, or fay, What doft thou? He speaks, and it is done-he commands, and it ftands faft; fo that, with God, all things are poffible. Should all creatures confpire to fruftrate his abfolute defigns, what would they all be? Mere pótfherds-a drop of the bucket; or, as the small duft of the ballonce: fo * Pf. cxxxix. 15, 16. that, that, with regard to any oppofition that can be made. by creatures, He that fitteth in the heavens laugheth them to fcorn-the Lord hath them in derifion. 3. HOWEVER, among poor worms of the earth, there is fuch a frail mutability, that it is not always safe to trust them; hence it is faid, Put not your truft even in princes, nor in any of the children of men; so that curfed is the man who absolutely and invariably trusteth in man, and maketh the arm of flesh his hope. That man is fure to bring unavoidable calamities upon himself, and may make himself fure that he will be difappointed. But now God is faithful; for, with Him, is no variableness, or fhadow of turning; his counfel it shall stand fast, and he will fo all his pleasure. Even a wicked Balaam expoftulates with his employer in.iniquity, and fays, Hath He spoken, and shall it not come to pass? Hath He faid it, and fhall he not make it good?--Though all flesh be as grafs, and the goodliness of man as the flower of the field, yet the word of our God abideth for ever. Therefore, not one thing which he hath faid fhall fall to the ground; infomuch, that when Ifrael was fettled in poffeffion of Canaan, it is obferved, there failed not one thing of all that God had faid, but all was fulfilled; fo that they who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion-which can never be moved. 4. I COME, then, now to confider what he hath faid refpecting the promise in the text, namely,—that of pouring out of his Spirit upon all flesh. It was be fore obferved, that promifes generally contrast threatenings; fo that wherever threatenings are, they are the forerunners of precious promifes. The promises are the kernel, and the threatenings are a kind of rough fhell to guard them. Hence, in Isaiah, defolation, wafting, and breaking down, are spoken of, which shall not always remain so, but only-Until the Spirit be poured from on high; and then the wilderness fha!! be a fruitful field—then judgement shall remain in the wilderness, and righteousness in the fruitful field-then the work of righteousness fhall be peace, in confequence of the Spirit being poured out, and the effect of righteoufnefs, quietness and affurance for ever *: There is a wonderful force and energy in the Hebrew word rendered poured out: it implies the vast plenitude and abundance, so that there is no refifting its impetuofity. Something of this fort was manifefted on the day of Pentecoft; but (as was obferved before) that was only the former rain; it was likewife more partial, was not fo univerfal as this latter rain shall be. That was like the first iffuing out of the waters of the Sanctuary, which, in the beginning, run in a narrower channel, but increased till at length they became a flood to fwim in t. 5. BUT to proceed with the promises. the evangelic Prophet shall be our guide a little farther. As water is often an emblem of the Spirit, fo, under that image, it is frequently spoken of: hence, drynefs and parched * Ifa. xxxii. 14, 15, 16. Ezek. xlvii. 5. parched ground are often made to fignify the want of the unction from on high; fo, on the contrary, moisture and dew fignify the gracious influences of that Divine Spirit; and, in reference to that, the Prophet fays, In the wilderness fhall waters break out, and Streams in the defert.-And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grafs, with reeds and rushes*. That is, in fouls, where was the least expectation of any thing that was truly good, yet upon them fhall fhower down the divine influences in fuch abundance, that it shall be just like land that is well watered, and fhall yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness to the honour and praife of God. In the fame sweet strain he goes on:-When the poor and needy feek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Ifrael will not forfake them.—I will open rivers in the high places, and fountains in the midst of the vallies. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land fprings of water +. How encouraging is this language! How well calculated to strengthen the feeble foul, and give a pleafing hope of good times to come! But farther: in confequence of this plentiful effufion of the Spirit, an univerfal jubilee takes place, and we are thus exhorted to break out with astonishing rapture,-Sing unto the Lord a new fong, and his praise from the ends of the earth: ye that go down to the Sea, |