again, "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace and create evil; I the Lord do all these things." In fact, the whole doctrine of prophecy rests upon this basis, while its imagery is so bold and sublime, and its edicts and proclamations are so characteristic of a divine majesty, that the book which contains them. may well challenge a more than human origin. How often does the majestic formula occur, as a royal sign manual, appended to some message of threatening import to a nation -" And ye shall know that I am the Lord?" And how frequently too, is the prediction of some great public event appealed to, as a written, irrefragable proof, that the Author of the Bible was the Ruler of the world? Here was the prediction, there was the accomplishment. The Jewish Church rested on the double basis of miracle and prophecy, not as separate and independent facts, but mutually inclusive; while the prophetic argument received constant corroboration from the extension of it to the fortunes of surrounding nations. Thus, the evidence drawn from providential interposition, in favour of the truth of the Bible, became irresistible-Israel was sure that his God was God; hence the text says, "Know that I am God;" which implies something more than mere faith-persuasion, founded on probable evidence. "Know that I am God," it was an indisputable verity; and he was called to apply it to the course of the world's events. The perfect acquisition of this knowledge-the full enthronement of this conviction in the mind of the church, casts a light broad and clear, upon the state and government of the world. It averred His full dominion over the world-it stamped His great policy over the nations with the most assuring evidence-it evinced the unity of His plans, and the ends to which they conducted-it enabled the Church to take the bearings of their times-to see the road by

which all agencies travelled to their predestinated pointand the accomplishment in which they rested, like angel's wings, let down after a fulfilled mission.

(1.) His end necessarily reveals itself to us in the light of his absolute sovereignty-" I will be exalted in the earth." As God he must design to make himself known to his creatures, both for their benefit, and his own glory. A governor must be known, to be honoured and obeyed. The glory of universal dominion is ascribed to Him in the songs of heaven, which must meet with a response from earth. It belongs to His being and position over his creatures. It involves the very ground and end of creation-the honour of His name-and the interests of our race. Religion is therefore the first duty of creatures. For in no other sense can God be said to be exalted in the earth, than by His dominion over his rational offspring. Spiritual and holy homage is due to Him from all people. The Supreme government must have a primary and absolute claim upon the obedience of every man personally, and upon man socially, as he forms communities and nations. The individual and the public homage blend, but they are distinct. Every human being owes God duty as a Father; but nations, as a Sovereign-the individual, as the image of God-society, as holding dominion over sections of the earth owes Him fealty, as the Monarch of the whole world. Crowns on earth, as well as crowns in heaven, are to be cast before Him. Dominion is to be publicly owned as His gift-the ordinance that binds society together, imparting to it unity, strength, and order-making the majesty of one, the image of His ownor the dignity of the few, the benefit of the many. As God, he gives his sanction to the system of earthly magistracy. By me, says wisdom, "Kings rule, and princes decree justice." He arraigns and judges nations, as such. He takes

cognizance of the public acts of rulers, and of those sins which, by universal consent, or legislative sanction, may be regarded as national. Yet are nations, as such, partakers of the benefits of a mediatorial administration, as well as individuals. Their sins are not hastily punished. All mitigations possible to a reign of holiness, mark the judgments inflicted on them. Intercession is available for them. The number of God-fearing people found in a kingdom, are graciously regarded for public good; and public humiliation is effectual to avert impending judgments, and to prolong national reprieve. Moreover, God is a moral Sovereign; and in this character comes nigh to every human bosom. Every man stands before Him irrespective of his relations to his fellow, and his position in society, as a being perfect in himself-a being invested with awful powers and responsibilities. He claims dominion in the will, the conscience, the heart. It is governing power

of the highest kind that He exercises over individual man-at once creating devotion and virtue, in their utmost strength-rendering social masses a noble aggregate of moral glory, like the confluence of solar rays, each one of which is tinged with its own celestial colour. He is a Saviour too, and this character surmounts His whole moral dominion, and is intimately blended with it throughout. His rule is one of unfailing and infinitely fruitful charity over man, from the world's beginning; and will remain so till its close. Its hues are broadly cast over the whole field and firmanent of providence. It spans the whole world, like its symbol bow in the heavens-ranging through heaven and earth, it rules every element, ordains all blessings, debates with judgments, and makes the sorest of them minister to its own ultimate ends. The admission of this principle, and its predominancy in the dominion of God over man, impart to it indeed a very perplexing and

anomalous character. No one principle, or rule of human judgment, is applicable to it, and illustrated by it throughout. Justice or mercy may be alternately ascendant, always mixed, but frequently in unequal proportions. Such phenomena are explicable only by the facts and doctrines of revelation, which shews us the work of Christ, and the bearings of the Atonement-that present appearances are not final, even as regards the earthly destiny of our raceand that all the relations and interests of man, as an earthly being, are but introductory to a second and everlasting condition of his existence. The text, then, points out to us two great doctrines.

(1.) God's right to be exalted in the earth; and

(2.) His purpose to bring this to pass. It implies that His right is not acknowledged, but too generally overlooked, and treated with scorn and contempt. This is indeed an awful fact to affirm of a world, reminding us of our Saviour's solemn and impassionate address: "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee." But to insist upon this fact at length-to argue it elaborately, or to expatiate on its moral enormity-its causes, tendencies, consequences or the diversity of forms it assumes, is not to the present purpose. It is more pertinent to bring forward the Divine purpose, founded on his rightful, unalienable claim, to be glorified in His creatures, by those dispositions and acts which become their relations to him, and the majesty of His being. To be God, and to be exalted are correlevant terms. According to the measure of creature capacity, and of his benefits, must glory be rendered to Him by all. God's purpose, therefore, is to maintain and to diffuse religion through the world. The heathen are here mentioned synonymously with nations; but with marked respect to their religious condition. God's purpose is to put down the irreligion of the world, in whatever forms it may

prevail-however inveterate and prescriptive its dominion -however dark, baneful, and destructive may be its sway. This one leading view of his design, enables us to understand what is his controversy with the world; and how far the world is now, as well as in so remote an age as that in which this Psalm was penned, from a true correspondence with his will, and from the true weal of its existence. God is not exalted, in the knowledge of his name, and the hearty, practical admission of his sovereign rights. He is not exalted, as the One Ruler of all nations; by which alone, His providential Sovereignty is commensurately recognized. He is not exalted, as a moral and judicial Sovereign; whose laws, whether written in the heart, or conveyed by special interposition, and supernatural modes; are to pervade the whole nature, relations, and habits of universal man. He is not exalted as a Saviour in the earth. Infidelity was the burden of prophetic complaint, when the age and object of manifestation were foreseen, and the career of the Christian religion among the nations in after times. "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" Predictions, gloomy and grievous, are embodied in the last revelations of Christ, and his apostles. "The falling away" is described in no common terms. "The mystery of iniquity" unfolds itself as a reign of darkness and tyranny over the world; an iron age, or rather cycle, whose beginning and end seem to include a fearful portion of the Gospel day. The purpose here avowed is worthy of the majesty and grace of the Supreme Ruler; and, taken in connection with the facts of history and present observation, shows how vast a revolution must take place on earth, ere it can be accomplished; and how truly the administration destined to accomplish it is called, "the mystery of God." This exaltation must include the prevalence of true religion through the world-the destruction of idolatry