SECTION III.

Of the Wisdom of God.-Of his Power.-Of that character, The LORD of Hofts.

IN the facred volume, we have an hiftory of the divine perfections. Thefe are not only declared in a doctrinal way, but also hiftorically delineated. They are not merely exhibited as objects of faith; by their wonderful effects, they become as it were vifible to the very fenfes of Often, in one event, one perfection appears more confpicuous than others, like an " ap"ple of gold, fet in pictures of filver." In another, different perfections beam forth with diftinguished luftre. But whether the display be limited to one, or extended to more, fuch are the characters of the work as to proclaim a divine. agent.

It might be fhewed, that we have here an hiftory of the Wisdom of God. This perfection is displayed in the work of creation. All things are declared to be "very good," as exactly corresponding to the pattern in the divine mind, and to the end for which they were made. We may therefore justly fay; " O LORD, how manifold "are thy works, in wifdom haft thou made them D 4 "all."

c Gen. i. 31.

"all" The fame wifdom is confpicuous in the works of Providence. How often hath God

66

brought to nought the counfel of the wicked;" now, by "making their devices of none effect," although the refult of the moft mature deliberation, and difplaying all the craft of the old ferpent; then, by turning their very schemes of deftruction on their own heads! Pharaoh said, in the height of his refentment, and in the infolence of his pride; "I will purfue, I will overtake, I "will divide the spoil; my luft fhall be fatisfied upon them; I will draw my fword, my hand "fhall deftroy them "."" But this very pursuit was overruled for his more fignal overthrow.

66

The wifdom of God might be illuftrated from the confideration of the means employed for the prefervation of the truth. The great longevity of the antediluvian patriarchs, and of fome of those who lived after the flood, was evidently defigned in fubferviency to the prefervation of that precious doctrine revealed to the Church, while it was only tranfmitted by tradition. A particular family was afterwards feparated for this purpofe. At length, when idolatry had overrun the world, revelation was committed to writing, and a whole nation were employed as its guardians. As the Sacred Hiftory exhibits the completion of great part of the prophecies contained in the volume of infpiration, we have another evidence that its author is "the only wife God," who "knoweth the end from the beginning."

d Pfal. civ. 24.

e Exod. xv. 9.

Did

Did we particularly confider the hiftory of redemption, we would at every step find reafon to admire “the manifold wifdom of God;" as difplayed in the comprehenfive nature of the firft revelation of grace, which is a beautiful fummary of all that hath fince been communicated to the Church; in its being exprefied in a free promife; in the feasonablenefs of this revelation; in the choice of that divine Perfon, as the immediate Revealer, who was himfelf to bruife the head of the ferpent; in the inftitution of facrifices, as a perpetual and fenfible teftimony of the way in which fin fhould actually be expiated; in the falvation of the family of Noah by an ark, and by means of water, as figurative of the falvation of all who believe; in the appointment of a typical priesthood and royalty, as well as in raising up prophets, who were at the fame time meffengers employed by the Angel of the covenant, and types of his future appearance in our world; in the whole frame of the Mofaic difpenfation, as a fhadow of good things to come; in the gradual increafe of the light of revelation, as the more perfect day approached, when " the Sun' of righteouf"nefs"? fhould himself "arife with healing in his "wings."

P

How wonderful the difplay of divine wifdom, in the constitution of the mediatory person of Jefus; in the formation of his body, of the fame fubftance with ours, yet without fin; in the choice of the time of his appearance, when "the "world by wifdom knew not God ;" in the means employed

employed for the accomplishment of the prophecy as to his being born in Bethlehem, and for making it legally known that he was of the lineage of David; in the excitement of a general expectation, among Gentiles as well as Jews, of the appearance of an illuftrious and extraordinary perfon about this time; in the choice of his forerunner, in respect of the tribe of which he sprung, his immediate parents, the place of his nativity and education, his manner of life, his peculiar ministry, his great acceptableness to the people, his eminent faithfulness and intrepidity, his want of perfonal acquaintance with the Meffiah, and the occafion and circumftances of his teftimony to him!

Here we might contemplate this perfection as displayed in the doctrine which Chrift taught; in the character of his miracles; in the choice of the time and circumftances in which many of them were wrought, and in their peculiar fignificancy as emblems of his fpiritual work; in the employment of fo unlikely a mean as his own death, for destroying the power of fin, Satan and death; in his being betrayed by one of his difciples, the natural confequence of which must have been, that had the traitor known any thing detrimental to the character of his Mafter, he would undoubtedly have published it for his own vindication; in making the doctrine of the crofs the inftrument of fubduing the world to the obedience of faith.-But the nature of this work will not admit of fo particular a difcuffion.

We

We might also take an extenfive view of Divine Power. For the facred volume contains a ftriking and an ample hiftory of this perfection. Its glory illuminates the records of creation. No language can be imagined, that could fo forcibly express the infinite ease with which God effected this work, as that employed by the inspired hiftorian. "God faid, Let light be, and light was." He "fpake, and it was done: he commanded, "and it ftood faft." His providential government is one continued difplay of omnipotence. "Day "unto day uttereth fpeech."

The Sacred History, in a great variety of inftances, illuftrates the meaning of that name which God fo frequently ufes,-JEHOVAH SABAOTH, or the LORD OF HOSTS,-a name which peculiarly expreffes his almighty power and univerfal dominion. Some have fuppofed, that Sabaoth is one of the proper names of God. But it is evident, that as the word fignifies hofts or armies, he is called the LORD, or God of hofts, because the various hofts of creatures are all the work of his hands, and obey his will. This is just an expreffion of his omnipotence. Hence we find, that the language of the feraphim, "Holy, holy, holy is "the LORD of hofts f," is applied to him by the four living creatures, with a change of expreffion denoting the meaning of the name; "Holy, holy, "holy LORD God Almighty §."

His

f Ifa. vi. 3.

g Rev. iv. 8.