elevated apprehenfions of his majefty and grace, by adoring his infinite excellencies, by confiding in his kind providence, by delighting in his juft commandments, and depending on his faithful promises. They fhall glorify him both with their fouls and bodies, humbly confefling their fins, thankfully acknowledging his mercies, and bringing forth, in their lives, the fruits of holiness and righteoufnefs, to his glory and praise.Improve this, truth, especially when you are called to the performance of any arduous fervice. Engage with alacrity in the duties of obedience: decline not any work that God affigns you; and remember, that the way of the Lord is ftrength to the upright.

The city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. The chief city belonging to the formidable people, whom God employed to execute righteous judgment upon those kingdoms and empires, which, by their atrocious crimes, merited fevere punishment, or total de ftruction, is doubtlefs here intended. I prefume not abfolutely to determine what particular city our prophet had in view, when he compofed this triumphant fong, whether Babylon or Rome.Concerning the inhabitants of this city it is foretold, They fhall fear thee. The fear of God frequently denotes in fcripture, religion in general, the whole of practical godlinefs. It is that bleffed temper which arifes in the foul from fuitable apprehenfions of the divine glory, and a just sense of the infinite diftance there is between God and us; of his fovereign authority, and our profound fubjection; of his confummate goodnefs, and our unfpeakable obligations to him for his benignity and kindnefs. It is fo to ftand in awe of the holinefs of his nature, the juftice of his government, the threatenings of his law, and the displays of his grace, as to receive the instructions of wisdom, and to depart from evil. It is such a reverence as a fubject hath for his prince, a fervant for his master, or a fon for his father; though it ought far to furpass

it in degree, God being infinitely greater, and more excellent than any perfon with whom we ftand connected among our fellow-creatures. Such is the fear of God, which was to prevail among the inhabitants of the city of the terrible nations.This prediction hath been verified in both the cities above mentioned. When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was reftored to his reafon and his throne, he lift up his eyes unto heaven, and bleffed the Moft High, and praised and honoured him that liveth for ever* ;' and doubtless great many in his dominions would join him, fo that the effects of this wonderful event might be very great and extensive. At Rome, the prophecy was more remarkably fulfilled at the first promulgation of the gospel; at which period the apostle Paul declares, that the faith of the faints in that city was fpoken of through the whole 'world t.'I conclude this article with the words of the angel, whom the apostle John faw flying in ⚫ the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gofpel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, who faid with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory 'to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and ' worship him that made heaven and earth, and the fea, and the fountains of waters."

4 For thou hast been a ftrength to the poor, a ftrength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the ftorm, a fhadow from the heat, when the blaft of the terrible ones is as a ftorm against the wall.

These words beautifully represent the kindneffes of God conferred upon his people, on account of which they unite in celebrating his praises.-Thou haft been a ftrength to the poor, &c. Power belongeth unto God, in whom it originally refides. With him there+ Rev. xiv. 6, 7.

* Dan. iv. 34. VOL. II.

+ Rom. i. 8.

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fore

fore nothing is impoffible: nothing is too hard for the Lord. In the weakness of his fervants he perfecteth ftrength; in confequence whereof, nothing becomes too hard for them to do, or fuffer, that he requires. He imparts to them all that might, whereby they become a strong people, and are enabled to glorify him; whereby they are furnished for every good work, and ftrengthened unto all long-fuffering with joyfulness.— This strength God hath communicated to the poor and needy. In fcripture-language, this character fometimes more especially relates to the outward condition, and at other times to the internal and spiritual ftate of the perfons who are spoken of. I fee no neceffity of reftraining it here to either of thefe claffes of people; what is affirmed, being equally true of those who have been poor in both fenses. God hath been a strength to those who were in indigent external circumstances, destitute of the comforts of life, of friends to fupport them, and who had no expectation of relief from human aid; to thofe also who have been needy of fpiritual affiftance, poor in fpirit, feeling their neceffities, and fenfible of their want of deliverance and help from Heaven. For the oppreffion of the poor, for the fighing of the 'needy, now will I arife (faith the Lord), I will fet him in fafety from him that puffeth at him.' From compaffion to the afflicted under fufferings, Jehovah promiseth, that he will arife, and place them in a state of salvation. Such is his gracious promise to the church; who, by contemplating the deliverances that God hath wrought for them, are animated to proclaim his praises. Looking back on his merciful interpofitions in their favour, they gratefully acknowledge, that he hath been a ftrength to the poor, and that this ineftimable benefit was received in the season wherein it was most needed.--In bis diftrefs: when afflicted with poverty and want, with pain and

* Plal. xii. 5.

fickness;

fickness; when troubled with fin and guilt; when perplexed with doubts and fears, even then the Lord fent help to him from above. Say, my friends, have not you experienced this truth? hath not the Lord been your ftrength in the day of diftrefs? hath not he prevented you in the time of your calamity? hath he not been your stay and deliverer? Unite then with the church, in thankfully acknowledging the God of your mercy, who hath ftrengthened and faved you.

A refuge from the ftorm, &c. A ftorm or tempeft, when it becomes extremely fierce and violent, threatens to spread defolation wherever it comes, and exposes every creature within its reach to imminent danger. An intense burning heat is ready to distress and confume those who are expofed to its powerful influence. In allufion to these things, which often happen in the natural world, the perfecution of the people of God, by their inveterate enemies, is emphatically reprefented in this and other paffages of fcripture, by a terrible ftorm, or confuming heat; and the inestimable favour of divine protection is pleasantly exhibited as a refuge from the fury of the raging tempeft, and a refreshing fhadow from the burning heat. In this comfortable privilege, David, the fervant of the Lord, folaced himself amidft the dangers of his pilgrimage, in Pfal, cxxi. where he thus fpeaks: The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy fhade upon thy right-hand. The fun fhall not fmite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The 'Lord fhall preserve thee from all evil: he fhall pre'ferve thy foul.' It is unneceffary to enlarge on this fubject, having treated it at confiderable length, when lecturing from chap. iv. 6. of this prophecy. I only add, that the particular feafon wherein this precious privilege was enjoyed, greatly enhanced its value, and excited the more ardent praises from the church.When the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. The Hebrew word tranflated blast, fignifies alfo rage and indignation. By the terrible ones,

6

are

are doubtless intended, the powerful furious enemies of the fervants of God, who strike dread and terror into all who oppofe them. Sometimes their wrath arrives at fuch a dreadful pitch, that it resembles a ftorm, which beats with great noise and violence upon a wall standing in its way. By this beautiful fimilitude, our prophet, in name of the church, illuftrates the tender care and compaffions of God, which they had experienced in feasons of the greatest distress and danger. Be thou, O Lord, our strength, our refuge, our fhadow. Suffer not our goodness to be injured by the ftorms of adverfity, as the bowing wall by the tempeft: fuffer it not to pass away by the fcorching heat of profperity, like the morning-cloud before the fun. Continue at all times to be our defence, that we may ever have fresh ground to celebrate thy praise in a triumphant fong, and by a well. ordered conversation.

5 Thou shalt bring down the noife of ftrangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the fhadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones fhall be brought low.

The prophet, in name of the church, extols the Lord God, on account of the awful rebukes which, in future times, he would administer to their enemies.The ftrangers primarily intended, were, I fuppofe, the Babylonians, to whom this defcription is given in fcripture, as I obferved from ver. 2.; and who are often mentioned in the prophetic writings, as reprefenting all the adverfaries of the people of God. The noise which was to be brought down, proceeded from the clamours of the people, and their prodigious armies, compofed of great numbers of foldiers, of horfes and chariots, which are frequently accompanied with fhouts of triumph. All this loud noife, according to this prediction, was to be made to cease, and to come to an end.The fub

ject