mighty arm remain no longer inactive, but put forth thy invincible ftrength, as in paft ages, when thy glorious power effected the moft wonderful deliverances The recollection of former mercies is both ufeful and comfortable, efpecially in feafons of diftrefs; for as divine difpenfations are commonly uniform, whatever hath happened may again happen in fimilar circumftances, fo that the experience of former generations, as well as of our own times, ought to be improved for our encouragement. Art thou not it that hath cut Rabab, &c. Rahab, which fignifies pride, or ftrength, is a name given in fcripture to the kingdom of Egypt, which was of old a very powerful nation. The royal Poet, con-. templating the magnificence, eftablishment, and glory of the city of God, and predicting the numerous acceffions to be made to the Church from among the Gentiles, the firft which he mentions is Rahab, or Egypt. This kingdom, once celebrated for its great power, Jehovah did cut or break in pieces, when he overthrew, in the fea, the chariots, the horsemen, and all the hofts of Pharaoh, and gave them to be meat to the inhabitants of the wildernefs; their bodies being caft afhore, they became the food of the wild beasts of the defarts.-And wounded the dragon. The Hebrew word tranflated dragon fignifies alfo a crocodile, remarkable for ftrength, cruelty, and cunning, an animal that frequented the river Nile, and the marshy grounds in Egypt. The mind immediately recedes from this creature, and the literal fense of the expreflion, and paffes to the contemplation of the object it is intended to reprefent, the inhuman, fubtle, and powerful prince who prefided over that kingdom. Of this perfecuting dragon Jehovah did break the head, and gave him a deadly wound, when he drowned him and his mighty hofts in the depths of the fea. The remembrance of the glorious deliverance, which was thereby effected, for the enslaved, oppreffed pofterity of Jacob, fuggefts a Pfal. lxxxvii. 3. ftrong ftrong argument to induce the Church of God to expect new mercies from him in the time of their diftrefs, and for this purpose the subject is here mentioned.-Former benefits received fhould prove as an anchor of hope, to preferve us ftedfaft in the day of trouble, confident that he who hath delivered will yet deliver. 10. Art thou not it which hath dried the fea, the waters of the great deep, that hath made the depths of the fea a way for the ranfomed to pafs over? Another memorable inftance of God's feasonable exertion of his mighty arm, in favour of his people, is mentioned in this verfe.-It dried the fea. The immenfity of the ocean, the vaft multitude and ftrength of its waters, especially when greatly agita-ted by a ftorm, render it a moft tremendous object, which nothing lefs than infinite power can controul. How glorious the omnipotence of Jehovah, which not only raises and calms that boisterous element at his pleasure, but can eafily dry up its waters. That hath made the depths of the fea a way for the ranfomed to pass over? The armies of Ifrael having advanced to the fea-fhore, in imminent danger of being again enflaved or deftroyed by their enemies, who clofely pursued them, the fea was inftantly divided at the lifting up of the rod of Mofes, and opened a new path, by which the pofterity of Jacob paffed in perfect fafety to the oppofite land: After wlrich, the waters returning to their former ftate, all their adverfaries who followed them were overwhelmed in the great deep. To this aftonifhing event, affording an illuftrious proof of the mighty power of Jehovah, exerted of old in behalf of his people, to effect their redemption from the houfe of bondage, the Church looked back, as affording ample ground of hope and encouragement in the time of diftrefs. Art not thou, O Lord God, the author of the wonderful derful deliverance to which we allude, that we recollect with admiration and gratitude, as affording a noble demonstration of thine infinite ability to fave, and a ftriking evidence of thy perfect readiness to help, in feafons of trouble and perplexity. This memorable interpofition of thy mercy and power we call to remembrance, as a ftrong incitement to the exercise of faith and hope, of truft and dependence on thee, for relief from the evils and dangers whereby we are environed. II. Therefore the redeemed of the Lord fhall return, and come with finging unto Zion, and everlasting joy fhall be upon their head they fhall obtain gladness and joy, and and forrow and mourning fhall flee away. Thefe comfortable words contain the answer, which the Spirit of God dictated, to the fervent prayer recited in the two verfes immediately preceding,-the reply that our prophet was directed to give to the earneft requests prefented by the Church. The fame almighty power which had been employed of old in vindicating the pofterity of Abraham from thraldom in Egypt, was to be feasonably exerted in every age for extricating the people of God from the afflictions and oppreffions whereby they were diftreffed. The intimate connection between the foregoing ardent prayer, and the joyful affurances here given of a favourable return, feems to be expreffed by the word Therefore in the beginning of this verse. Prayer is an ordinance of divine appointment, and did not God honour his own inftitution, and verify his own. folemn declarations, of hearing and anfwering the fupplications of his fervants, they would prove in fome measure vain and nugatory, though not altogether useless. If the perfon engaged in prayer is accepted, if the homage is approved, if the facrifice prefented is an odour of a fweet fmell, if it does bo nour nour to God, and becomes a proper acknowledgment of his glorious perfections; if in this way he is admitted to communion with his Maker, though no other benefit refulted from this fervice, thefe advan. tages ought powerfully to prompt to the performance of the duty efpecially when it is recollected, that he who is able to do more than we can afk or think, hath promised to grant comfortable anfwers to the fupplications of the needy. The Lord God hath not faid to the houfe of Jacob feek my face in vain, nor is there one inftance on record, that I know, of earneft prayer which did not receive a gracious answer from him who hears the defires of the humble; nay, he hath been pleafed frequently to give more than was asked. Such ftrong encouragement being held forth to importunate prayer, the redeemed of the Lord cannot fail, by this means, to obtain joy and gladness in their way to Zion.-The expofition given of the words before us, which occured in chapter XXXV. 10. fupercedes the neceffity of explaining them at prefent. Nothing farther feems requifite, than to have pointed out the design of their being introduced in this paffage. 12. I, even I am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that fhall die, and of the son of man which fhall be made as grafs ? After the above digreffion, if it may be fo called, the confolatory difcourfe begun in the firft part of the chapter is continued.-I, even I am he that comforteth you. The Lord God doth not barely fay to his people that he can comfort them, if he please, or that in fome inftances he had administered to them this defirable bleffing, but he affirms, that having abundant facred confolations, which will not difappoint their expectations, and of which none shall be able to deprive them, he will not fail, on every pro per per occafion, to impart them to thofe who follow after righteousness, and feel themselves weak, afflicted, and deftitute of human aid. I am he who alleviates your troubles, who reftrains your enemies, who mitigates your forrows, who removes the evils that you feel or fear, and who gives you reviving promifes of gracious affiftance and deliverance to fupport your dejected minds. In due feafon I will extricate you from all the tribulations that, for falutary purposes, you now endure, and in the mean time you shall have ftrength to bear them with fortitude and patience. This bleffed office the Lord God is pleased to affume, this work he appropriates to himself, and in this employment he seems to glory. And after his fervants have been engaged in fervent prayer for the exertion of his mighty power, he often difpenfes to them divine confolations, by the faving ftrength of his right hand, and by fending gracious answers to their petitions. Who art thou that thou fhouldst be afraid of a man? The Almighty calls to account every individual of his people who yields to the influence of the flavifh fear of man, and reprimands the indulgence of that criminal difpofition.-Who art thou that art diftreff. ed with timidity and terror of a frail mortal creature like thyself, and behavest as if thou hadeft not the eternal God for thy helper and refuge? This pointed enquiry carries in it the force of a tharp reproof for indulgence in this unbecoming temper, whilft it ferves to fhew its extreme folly and pernicious tendency. By giving way to timidity, you act inconfiftently with the manly fortitude which on all occafions you ought to manifeft; you act unworthy of that firm, heroic refolution, which ought always to diftinguish the fervants of the living God. What fufficient reafon canft thou affign for allowing thyfelf to entertain a fervile dread of a fellow-mortal? seriously expoftulate with thyfelf on the abfurdity of thy conduct, now that thou art interrogated as to this matter. The fear of man bringeth a fnare, and wherever " |