Imatges de pàgina
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the fubject which here fixed the mind of Agur, was that of the expanding power; of the coperation and effect of which, his expredion is the most natural and beautiful, Who asti sound the waters in a garment?

We are now to contemplate, more difinciiv, the great myflery of God in the Archangel-Exhibition, or that of a world fabilting by the agency of two powers acting agunt each other. In doing this, we may be affitted by the infpired account given of the manner in which the waters of the flood returned from off the earth, viz, Going and returning, or ebbing and flowing. We have feen the power of the elect-eftablishment so prevailing, as to render the natural power incapable of binding the waters; and fo, confequently, the deftruction of the world. And though, at the end of an hundred and fifty days, the oppofing power was so far withdrawn, as to give the natural power motion; fill, by the motion of the waters going and returning, we perceive fuch an exercise of this power, as, by governing and controling the natural principle, to become itself a conflituent principle of the new world.

Here, then, we have explained the going and returning of the winds, the ebbing and flowing of the feas, and the waxing and waneing of all the affairs of this world. Tide characterizes all prefent things-it has, with great propriety, become another name for time, as expreffive of the changeful courfe of the prefent world. Alfo, we have here explained, that view of the divine government

over this world, which is conftantly exhibited, both in providence and in the fcriptures; and which has prefented to many fearching minds, fo great a difficulty, and fo often has defeated the calculations of the wife and prudent, viz. That events are feen to take place indirectly, and, as it were, by the overruling and controling of what might be confidered

their natural course.

Why is the eaft wind the blaft of nature? Doubtlefs, the word blaft, originally, meant this wind. Why is the agency of the eaft wind, fo often known in providence, and fo frequently referred to in the fcriptures, in the great and folemn work of judgment, whereby Zion is redeemed? What inftruction is afforded to us, by its being recorded of the dividing of the Red Sea, that the Lord caused the fea to go back, by a strong east wind? Why, we afk, is the east wind here spoken of as the agent of God, in thus counteracting nature; and as explaining the operation of divine power in this myracle? And why, in the addrefs in the fong of Mofes to the angel of the Lord, is this wind particularized as his wind? Thou didst blow with thy wind.Why went there forth a wind from the Lord to bring the quails into the camp of Ifrael? which alfo, Pfal. lxxviii. 26, is called an east wind. And why, alfo, to accomplish this event, are we informed of a wind coming back in another direction? Why are the judgments of God, of every kind, ufually afcribed to the influence of the eall wind?

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Note the following paffages:- -Pharaoh

dreamed, And behold, feven ears withered, thin and blafted with the east wind. Gen. xli. 23.And Mofes ftretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night : and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locufts. Exod. x. 13. The rich man Jhall lie down, but he fhail not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempeft fealeth him away in the night. The caft wind carrieth him away. Job xxvii. 19-21.Thou breakeft the fhips of Tarfish with an eaft wind. Pfal. xlviii. 7.-I will Scatter them as with an east wind. Jerem. xviii. 17.Yea, behold, being planted, shall it profper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? Ezek. xvii. 10.-But she was plucked up in fury, he was caft down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit. Ezek. xix. 12.-Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters: the eaft wind bath broken thee in the midft of the feas. Ezek. xxvii. 26.-Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an eat wind fhall come, the wind of the Lord fhall come up from the wilderness, and his Spring fhall become dry, and his fountain fhall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleafant veffels. Hof. xiii. 15.-Here again the caft wind is diftinguished as the wind of the Lord; and, by comparing this with Job 1. 19.

i. it appears that it was this fame wind of the Lord from the wilderness, which fmote the house and flew Job's children.— Again, God prepared a vehement eaft wind;

and the fun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted. Jonah iv. 8.-They fhall come all for violence; their faces fhall fup up as the east wind. Habak. i. 9.-Is there not before us, in the view of the archangel-establishment, an anfwer to all this?

Moreover, we have here explained the doc trine brought into view by the apostle, Rom. viii. of the creature, or natural world, being fubjected to vanity, or to the bondage of corruption, and not having its free exercise; but that this is done, for the fame reason of subjection, whence is the gospel hope. By the deluge, the earth was indeed made subject to vanity and corruption; and, emerging from the waters, it groaneth and travelleth in pain until now; and it difcovers itself ftill bound by that power; and, by its ftruggling and groaning, that it is ftill wrestling with the angel; that its baptifm is unto death, and that, one day all that belongs to the first creation, and remains of the life of nature, muft, from this caufe, expire.-But, by tracing up this ftate of bondage and corruption of the crea ture, in the light of truth, to the elect establifhinent, and the redemption law, we fee the world, hereby, coming into union with its fuffering Redeemer; and that, through this bondage of corruption, there is hope, the only hope, even the fame for which the fons of God are waiting, the hope of the refurrection and eternal life.

And, finally, from this ftate of the world, we are led to contemplate a deluge of fire, as the clofing up of the wonderful fcene. The

angelic power is ever reprefented to us as being fire. It is faid of the miniftering angels of Chrift, that he maketh them a flame of fire; and they are named feraphim, burners.— A flaming fword was the first appearance in our world of this power.—Daniel beheld the throne of Chrift in the midft of thousand thoufand, and ten thoufand times ten thou fand of his angels; which throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels burning fire. This mult mean the ellablishment and power of the elect angelic kingdom. Moreover, he faw a fiery fream iffue, and come forth from before him; this, doubtlefs, was the fame appearance which Moles called a flaming fword. The angel that fpake unto Mofes at Horeb, appeared in a flame of fire out of the midft of a buh; and the law ordained by angels was a fiery law, and it was given forth from the mount that burned with fire, even from the midft of the fire.-The angel, alfo, that talked with Manoah, afcended to heaven in the flame of the altar; and it may be noticed, that the flame of the altar ever fignified the angelic difpofition, which we have fhewn to be founded in the facrifice of the everlasting covenant. As the Lord's hoft, the angels were feen like chariots of fire, and horfes of fire; and, as the attendants in his court, they were beheld with countenances as the lightRing; and the Lord has ever appeared a mong them the fame as at mount Sinai.

The fhekinah, in leading the camp of Ifrael out of Egypt, on the weft fide, was a watery cloud, but, on the caft fide, it was a pillar of

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