wherever it predominates the fear of the Lord is deficient in its operation.-Recollect the frail, uncertain, dying condition of the object that excites thy dif may and terror. The meanness, the weakness and infignificance of man, is reprefented in fcripture by a variety of fimilitudes. He is compared to a fhadow, that hath no real existence, and which foon vanishes away; in his beft eftate to vanity itself, which affumes, rather than poffeffes any fubftantial reality;to the fmall duft that adheres to the balance;-to the defenceless worm, that is continually in danger of being crushed to death ;--to the grass, which foon decays and is cut down; and-to the flower of the grafs, which is quickly gone, fhrinks into the ground, and perishes. Thus doth man fade away in his ways. Why, then, fhouldest thou be afraid of fuch a feeble, fhort-lived creature? The greatest and moft formidable of the human race (hall foon die, and be laid low in the duft, and therefore the tranfitory nature of his exiftence, and certain approaching diffolution, ought to check anxiety and dread. Let us remember, that thofe whom we moft admire, love, and truft, fhall die ere long, and take heed that we do not place too much affection or dependence upon them; that thofe whom we most fear and ftand in awe of, fhall foon be removed by death; and, therefore, let us beware that we do not indulge in difmay or terror.

13. And forgetteft the Lord thy maker, that hath ftretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth? and haft feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppreffor, as if he were ready to deftroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor ?

Having reproved that fervile fear of man, which would difturb and diftrefs the minds of those who are comforted of God, a farther check is given to this

finful

finful paffion, by fhewing its inconfiftency with an abiding recollection of the majefty and grandeur of Jehovah.-Notwithstanding the Lord God hath employed various means to preferve continually the remembrance of him fresh in your minds, you have neglected to cherish frequent pleafing thoughts of the discoveries of his power and prefence, which he hath every where exhibited. Though he hath reminded you of his existence and glory, not only by the creatures with which you are furrounded, but by the difpenfations of his providence, and the impreffions made on your hearts by his good Spirit, you have not realized his perfections, nor fuitably regarded his operations. How criminal this neglect of thy Maker, who gave thee being, breath, and all things, and endowed thee with the power of remembrance; who created in thee a new heart, and admitted thee into the highly-favoured fociety of his, Church, over which he prefides, and which he guards with unremitting care and affection. Juftly, then, mayeft thou blush, and be ashamed of thy forgetfulness of thy Creator.-That bath ftretched forth the heavens, &c.; that by his omnipotence formed and extended the immenfe expanfe of the heavens; that spread abroad the clouds and the firmament, wherein are placed, in admirable order, innumerable glorious luminaries; and that established the highest heavens, wherein the presence of Jehovah is especially enjoyed. And laid the foundations of the earth. This expreffion, which refers to architecture, where the foundation is the most neceffary and important part of the building, that bears the weight of the whole superstructure, and gives it strength and stability, intimates that the Lord God not only formed, but hath fo established the earth, that it cannot be removed for ever. Since, then, the Almighty hath given fuch illuftrious displays of his goodness, wisdom, and power, in the creation and preservation of the univerfe, how juftly reprehenfible is the conduct of his people, who refide on the earth, contemplate VOL. IV.

E

his

his glory in the heavens, and who daily receive fresh proofs of his loving kindness and tender care, to allow this gracious God, and his precious benefits, to flip out of their memories, and who do not remember him and his ways.

And haft feared continually every day, &c. By acting under the influence of the fear of man, destitute of proper respect to God, who only ought to be feared, and perfifting in this abfurd practice, you act inconfiftently both with your character and duty. How miferable the condition of perfons emphatically described by Mofes, in his laft folemn charge given to all Ifrael Thy life fhall hang in doubt before thee, ' and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none affurance of thy life,-for the fear of thine ' heart wherewith thou fhalt fear, and for the fight of 'thine eyes which thou fhalt fee *.' In fimilar perplexing, diftreffing circumftances were the people to whom the prophet addreffed his difcourfe.-Because of the fury of the oppreffor, who, incensed with rage, and filled with wrathful indignation, loaded them with bitter reproaches; compelled them, by violence and cruelty, to fubmit to hard labour, to comply with tyrannical impofitions, or to endure the most excruciating fufferings. Such feem to have been the causes of that timidity and dismay which the following words are intended to difpel. And where is the fury of the oppreffor? The queftion intimates, that the object was in reality a thing of naught, and of fhort continuance. The oppreffor and his fury were perfectly under the controul of the Almighty, and both were foon to come to an end. Though he may be great in power, and fpreading like a green bay tree, yet he fhall quickly pafs away, and if fought for he fhall not be found.-What ftrong encouragement do these words administer to the people of God, and what a fharp reproof do they convey to those who afflict and opprefs them. The total overthrow of magnificent cities, the leaft veftige of which cannot

* Deut. xxviii. 66, 67.

now

now be discovered; the tragical fate of powerful empires, fwept with the befom of deftruction; and the horrible death of the perfecutors of the Church, fuggeft fuch a reply to the enquiry here made, as authorizes us to fay, the oppreffor and his fury fhall ere long be fought for in vain.

14. The captive exile haftneth that he may be loofed, and that he fhould not die in the pit, nor that his bread fhould fail.

Our prophet declares, that the perfecutors of the people of God, being difperfed and brought to nothing, thofe who had been banished from their native country, and thrown into places of confinement were to be fet at liberty, that they might go wherever they pleafed. Being liberated from the prifons, the loathfome dungeons, and from the fetters wherewith they were bound, in which they endured hunger, thirst and nakednefs, pains and forrows, through the cruelty of their oppreffors, they were happily fet free from want, mifery, and the dread of death, whereby they had been grievously diftreffed. In the words of the royal Pfalmift, The 'Lord beheld the earth from heaven, to hear the groaning of the prifoner, to loose them that were appointed to death, to declare the name of the Lord ' in Zion, and his praise in Jerufalem *. No mifery fo complicated, no malice fo inveterate, no power fo great, from which God doth not extricate his faithful fervants. After having fuffered bondage, imprisonment, tortures, and calamities of various kinds, he fends them deliverance in his own good time and way. This prediction, on which it is unneceffary to enlarge, hath been remarkably fulfilled in different periods of the Church, when God hath commanded deliverances for the children of Jacob, and fruftrated the wicked defigns of their adverfaries, Encouraged by this animating confideration, how fervently

* Pfal. cii. 19-21.

vently ought we to pray, O let the fighing of the 'prifoner come before thee; according to the great'nefs of thy power, preserve thou those that are appointed to die *'

15. But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the fea, whofe waves roared: the Lord of hofts is his name.

With what a magnificent exordium is the fubject introduced contained in the following verfes. The preceding part of this difcourfe was directed to the timid afflicted difciples of the Meffiah; here the form of expreffion is changed from the plural to the fingular number, and our prophet, in the name of Jehovah, particularly addreffes the more eminent fervants of God employed in advancing his kingdom, and the interefts of truth and righteoufnefs in the ' earth. To fuch he faith, I am the Lord thy God; the fovereign, omnipotent, unchangeable Jehovah, who am intimately related to thee, who have delivered thee from innumerable evils, preferved thee amid alarming dangers, provided fupply for thy manifold neceffities, fupported thee under thy great weakneffes, and in every emergency have granted thee seasonable help and relief.-That divided the fea, to open a fafe paffage for the Ifraelites from the oppreffion of the Egyptians; and that keeps in continual motion the immenfe body of waters whereof the fea is compofed. By the fame glorious power, for which nothing is impoffible, he can preferve and work deliverance, with the utmost ease, for his Church, from danger and calamity, amid all the commotions that arise among the inhabitants of the earth. The Lord, who is mightier than the noise of many waters, ftilleth the tumults of the people, gives check to their turbulent paffions, which endanger, and might difturb the tranquillity of his chofen; or who by various means removes them out of the way, that、

* Pfal. lxxix. II.