from dead idols to ferve the living God. What a powerful motive to compliance with the following gracious invitation; their flate is happily changed and improved. The reviving intimation of the pardon of fin difmiffes thofe gloomy apprehenfions, perplexing fears, and dread of punishment which difturbed the mind. All appears bright and ferene, the light of God's countenance fhines forth, comfort and joy fpring up, hope that maketh not ashamed is excited, and true felicity is enjoyed. O the bleffedneffes of the man (the Hebrew word in Pfalm xxxii. 1. is in the plural number) whofe tranfgreffions are forgiven, whofe fin is covered! What an accumulation of bleffings are his portion whofe iniquities are forgiven! How many good things concur to conftitute his happiness! He is truly bleffed in foul and body, in this and the future world. Hearken then to the exhortation fubjoined !

Return unto me. Be awakened to a deep fenfe of your fin and folly, in having turned to me the back and not the face; in having forfaken the fountain of living waters, and hewn out to yourselves broken cifterns that can hold no water; in loving and ferving the creature more than the Creator. Forfake the foolish, and live and go in the way of understanding. Heartily renounce the idols that you have served, and the wicked ways wherein you have gone, with juft abhorrence of your doings, that have not been good. In the ufe of appointed means, and in humble dependance on my promised Spirit, caft away all your tranfgreffions wherein you have indulged, that involve men in deftruction and perdition. Return unto me with all your hearts; that henceforth you may be employed in my worship, fervice, and obedience, and cleave unto me, your Saviour and Lord, with full purpofe of heart.-For I have redeemed thee from flavery in Egypt; from the hands of thy powerful enemies; and, according to my purpose, I will deliver thee from captivity at Babylon, as emblems of the great fpiritual eternal redemption to be effected by the Meffiah in the fulness of time, for all my

peculiar

peculiar people, a fubject often mentioned in this facred volume. Return unto God, and he will return unto you; he will have mercy upon you; he will heal your backflidings, love you freely, and receive you gracioufly. He will make an everlasting covenant with you, and not turn away from doing you good; he will open to you the treafures of his grace, and enrich you with the precious bleflings contained in his exceeding great and precious promifes. Let every heart, then, reply, Turn thou me, O Lord, and I fhall be turned.

23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: fhout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into finging, ye mountains, O foreft, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glori、 fied himself in Ifrael.

Tranfported with the view of the predicted events, Ifaiah calls upon the whole creation to fing the praises of jehovah, and to celebrate the great benefit of redemption. With this enlivening profpect fully in his view, he invites the heavens, with all their innumerable orbs; the fun, the great fource of light, the moon that fhines with a luftre borrowed from his beams, and the stars which glifter in the firmament by night, to testify their exultation and joy-Shout with the voice of triumph and gratitude ye lower parts of the earth, that are rendered fertile and pleafant by celeftial influences, and that are covered with corns, with vegetables, and animals of various defcriptions.-Break forth into finging, ye mountains that are remarkable for elevation, beauty, and fruitfulnefs, and which are crowned with plenty -O foreft, ye verdant lofty trees of every fpecies, unite in the chorus of praife and thankigiving to the glorious Redeemer of his people.-Such is the literal import of the words before us, which may be understood in their figurative fenfe-By the heavens may be intended the celestial inhabitants, who are capable of celebrating with delight and joy

the

the praises of Jehovah; namely, angels, with patriarchs, prophets, and faints, who lived under the Old Testament. The lower parts of the earth, may denote the humble ftate of the Gentiles, who had not been exalted to fuch high rank and diftinguishing advantages as the mountains, which may fignify those who poffeffed greater eminence, higher privileges, and more extenfive influence. The foreft with the trees thereof, may denote large cities and towns, in which were great numbers of people that had arifen to confiderable opulence, dignity, and authority. According to this interpretation, all these several claffes of perfons are called to join in finging and fhouting. In this bold figure, which hath an uncommon force of expreflion; character, and action, are attributed to irrational inanimate objects. Our Prophet, infpired with ardent gratitude to God, for the great mercies mentioned in the preceding verfe, addreffes the heavens and the earth, as if animated with life, and capable of affection; or as the habitations of intelligent creatures, who are invited to magnify the Lord, for the benefits he confers upon his people.

For the Lord hath done it, &c. If you ask what ground of joy and triumph could the deliverance of the pofterity of Jacob from captivity, afford to the inhabitants of heaven and earth? I anfwer, that the difpofition of all things depends entirely upon the purpose of God in Jefus Chrift, to be accomplished to his church. For the benefit of the people of God, by whom he is ferved and glorified, the heavens and the earth, continue to this day, and fhall remain until the confummation of all things. The reftoration of the Jewish people to the land of Canaan, was indifpenfibly requifite to the fulfilment of the promifes made unto the fathers. According to the predictions of the prophets, the kingdom of Mefliah muft have been founded in Zion, and erected in Judea, whilft the temple of Jerufalem was ftanding; and from thence it was to be extended over the whole earth. Thefe circumftances, and others of

equal

equal importance connected with them, could not have happened unless the children of Ifrael had been reftored to their own land. In this event commenced the accomplishment of the ancient prophecies, and the intimate union that was to fubfift betwixt heaven and earth. Befides every creature wherein is life, naturally defires its prefervation; and as that depends on the exitence of the kingdom of the Son of God, which was to arife in the land of Judea, poffeffed by the Jews; the whole univerfe is required to celebrate with triumph their return into Palestine. By this aufpicious event, which God who is faithful hath effected, he exactly executed his intended work according to his promife; his confummate excellencies were eminently exhibited, his name was highly glorified, and his people refcued from captivity; fo that this difpenfation of Providence afforded much ground of gratitude and praife.-Let us then join in celebrating the ever enduring mercy of Jehovah, whereby the pofterity of Jacob were delivered from captivity and bondage, and fettled in the inheritance promifed to their fathers. Efpecially let us extol and magnify the exceeding riches of his grace, whereby was accomplished the great redemption which was thus exhibited-The people of God rescued from fpiritual bondage and oppreflion, and conducted through this world into the heavenly Canaan, the promifed eternal inheritance referved for the faints in light.

24 Thus faith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that ftretcheth forth the heavens alone; that fpreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

The important fubject here treated, is illuftrated by a magnificent defcription of the glorious Author by whom it was to be realized, in which he claims the moft fublime characters and intimate relations to his people. Thofe mentioned in the first part of the VOL. III. verfe,

3.I

verfe, I lately confidered, and fhall not attempt at present to refume or to add to what was faid on these topics. The frequent repetition of the comfortable truths afferted in this verfe, that God is the Redeemer of his people, and he that formed them in the earliest state of their existence, inculcates the high importance of maintaining a permanent fense of our infinite obligations to him, for the bounties of his providence, and the riches of his mercy and grace. -I am the Lord that maketh all things; who created the heavens with all their hofts; the earth, and all that is therein; the fea, with its immenfe ftores; and the land, with all its valuable productions-Who gave existence to the eaftern, fouthern, western, and northern regions of the universe; to time, and its several diftributions into years and seasons, months and weeks, days and nights-Who fashioned the elegant ftructure of the human body; which is fearfully and wonderfully made; and formed the fpirit of man, that is within him, with all its noble powers and fa culties. Matter, form, life of every fort, are all entirely his production; not for the honour of another, but for his own pleasure and glory; who hath abfolute underived independent right, to govern and dispofe of all that he hath made, as feemeth good in his fight. With the four and twenty elders, ought we to fall down before him that fitteth upon the throne, and to worship him for ever and ever; faying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honour, and power; for thou haft created all things, and ' for thy pleasure they are and were created *.'

That Stretcheth forth the heavens alone; which form a magnificent canopy over the whole earth, with all its innumerable inhabitants; enlightened and adorned by the celeftial luminaries. This noble pavilion, was originally framed and furnished by its omnipotent Maker, with infinitely greater ease than man can conftruct or pitch a tabernacle for his temporary refidence.-That Spreadeth abroad the earth

Rev. iv. 11.

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