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"had with the Father, before the world was;" a glimpse of which he vouchsafed to the three difciples, who were present at his transfiguration, when "his "face did fhine as the fun, and his raiment was "white as the light." The first inftance of his creating power is afforded us by the "heavens," which form a magnificent "canopy, or pavilion," comprehending within it the earth, and all the inhabitants thereof. It is enlightened by the celeftial orbs fufpended in it, as the holy tabernacle was, by the lamps of the golden candlestick. And it was originally framed, erected, and furnished by it's Maker, with more ease than man can construct and pitch a "tent," for his own temporary abode. Yet must this noble pavilion alfo be taken down; thefe refplendent and beautiful heavens muft pafs away, and come to an end. How glorious then fhall be those "new heavens," which are to fucceed them, and to endure for ever!

3. Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind.

The divine architect is here reprefented as " laying "the beams of his chambers, as compacting his lofts, "or ftories, in the waters." Some think the formation of the terrestrial ftrata in the waters, which at the beginning covered all things, is here alluded to. If it be objected, that the Pfalmift, in the courfe of his defcription, is not yet arrived at the formation of the earth, but is till in the upper regions of the air; may we not suppose, that the fubject is, in this particular, a little anticipated, which is no uncommon

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cafe in the facred writings? The generality of expofitors, however, interpret the paffage of those "dark waters, compacted into thick clouds of the "fkies," which the Almighty is elfewhere faid to make the "fecret place, or chamber" of his refidence, and a kind of "footftool" to his throne.

Pf. xviii. 9, 11. And thus, indeed, the former part of our verse is plainly and immediately connected with what follows; "who maketh the clouds his

chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the "wind." How aftonishingly magnificent and tremendous is the idea which these words convey to us, of the great King, riding upon the heavens, encompaffed with clouds and darkness, attended by the lightnings, those ready executioners of his vengeance, and caufing the world to refound and tremble at the thunder of his power, and the noise of his chariot wheels! By these enfigns of royalty, thefe emblems of omnipotence, and inftruments of his difpleasure, doth Jehovah manifeft his prefence, when he vifiteth rebellious man, to make him own and adore his neglected and infulted Lord. See and compare Pf. xviii. Io. and the context.

4. Who maketh his angels fpirits: his minifters a flaming fire.

From the manner in which thefe words are introduced, and the place where they ftand, one fhould conceive the meaning of them to be, that God employeth the elements of air and fire, the winds

מלאכיו and the lightnings, as his meffengers רוחות

and minifters, to execute his commands upon the

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earth.

earth*. But the Apoftle, Heb. i. 7. informeth us, that they have a further reference to immaterial angels; either because those angels often appeared in the likeness, or because they were endued with the properties of "wind and flame." Intellectual beings, of the highest order in the realms above are as ready to fulfil the word of Jehovah, as are the elements of this lower world. Both teach a leffon of obedience to the fons of men; to thofe of them more efpecially, who are appointed "angels" of the churches, and "minifters," of Chrift.

5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it Ahould not be removed for ever.

In the original it is, "Who hath founded the "earth upon it's bafes." The formation of this globe, on which we tread, is a wonderful inftance of divine wisdom and power, whether we confider the manner in which the parts of it are put and kept together, or its fufpenfion in the circumambient fluid, which, as fome philofophers suppose, by pressing upon it on every fide, forms fo many columns, as it were, to fupport, and keep it balanced. The words," that it should not be removed for ever,” do by no means imply, that the earth is ftationary, or that it is eternal; but only thus much, that it is fo conftructed, as to anfwer the end, and to last the time, for which it was created and intended. It shall continue the fame in itself, and with relation to other bodies, neither altering it's fhape, nor changing it's

In the French translation it is" Who maketh the winds "his angels, the flaming fire his ministers.”

course,

course, till the day appointed for it's diffolution; after which, as there are to be "new heavens," fo will there alfo be "a new earth."

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6. Thou coveredt it with the deep, as with a garment: the waters flood above the mountains. 7. At thy rebuke they fled: at the voice of thy thunder they hafted away. 8. They go, or went up by the mountains: they go, or, went down by the vallies, unto the place which thou hadft founded for them. 9. Thou haft fet a bound that they may not pass over: that they turn not again to cover the earth.

Most interpreters fuppofe this to be a defcription of the fituation of things, and of what was effected by the power of God, on the third day of the creation, when he faid, "Let the waters be gathered to

gether into one place, and let the dry land appear; " and it was fo." Indeed, the process at the creation was fo exactly fimilar to that at the deluge, with regard to the circumftances here mentioned, that it matters not to which we apply the beautiful and truly poetical paffage before us. In both cafes, the earth was covered with the waters, as with a garment, in every part; in both cafes, they fled at the Al. mighty word, like the scattered remains of a routed army; from the heights of mountains, whither they had afcended, they funk down into the vallies; from the vallies they retired to the bed of the ocean, and a part of them defcended from thence into the great deep, that lieth beneath. Bounds were fet them, beyond which they fhould never pafs, to overwhelm us any more for ever. And the experience of 4000 years hath taught us, that where the Creator hath

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laid his commands, plain fand is a fufficient barrier, Thus the church hath been delivered from her fpiritual enemies; and fhe hath a promife, on which the may with full confidence rely, that "the gates of "hell fhall never prevail against her."

10. He fendeth the Springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. 11. They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild affes quench their thirst.

The waters of the fea are not only prevented from destroying the earth, but by a wonderful machinery are rendered the means of preferving every living thing which moveth thereon. Partly ascencing from the great deep through the ftrata of the earth, partly exhaled in vapour from the furface of the ocean into the air, and from thence falling in rain, efpecially on the tops and by the fides of mountains, they break forth in fresh springs, having left their falts behind them; they trickle through the valleys, between the hills, receiving new fupplies as they go; they become large rivers, and after watering, by their innumerable turnings and windings, immenfe tracts of country, they return to the place from whence they came. Thus every animal hath an opportunity of quenching that thirft, which muft otherwife foon put a period to it's existence. The "wild affes" are particularly mentioned, because they live in remote and fandy deserts; yet even fuch creatures, in fuch places, are by the God of nature taught the way to the waters; infomuch that the parched traveller, when in fearch of a fountain, findeth them to be the beft guides in the world, and needeth only to observe and follow the herds of them defcending to the

ftreams,

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