ther, to the vast circumference of the heavens, is as nothing, loses all sensible greatness. This point that men are so busy dividing among them with fire and sword, what if one man had the sovereignty of it all? He and kingdom both were nothing to thine; for sea and land, earth and heaven, and all the creatures in them all, the whole, all is thine; thou art Lord of heaven and earth, and therefore the kingdom is thine. As all other kingdoms are less than thine, so they hold of thine, thine is supreme; all the crowns and scepters of the earth hang at thy footstool." All kings owe their homage to this great king, and he disposeth of their crowns absolutely and uncontrolled as he will, he enthrones and dethrones at his pleasure, throws down one and sets up another; as we have a great monarch confessing it at length upon his own experience, being brought down from his throne, on purpose to learn this lesson, and was seven years in learning it".

The power.] The creatures have among them several degrees and several kinds of power, but none of them, nor all of them together have all power, this is God's. He is all-powerful in himself, primitively powerful, and all the power of the creatures is derived from him; he is the fountain of power: so that whatsoever power he hath given unto men, or any other creature, he hath not given away from himself; it is still in himself more than in them, and at his pleasure he can call it back, and withdraw the influence of it, and then they remain weak and powerless. And when he gives them power, he useth and disposeth of both them and their power as seems him good; therefore his stile is, the Lord of Hosts. He can command more armies than all the kings and princes of the earth, from the most excellent to the meanest of the creatures, all are his trained bands, from the Host of glorious spirits, to the very armies of grasshoppers and flies; and you know, that as an angel was employed against the

n Dan. iv. 34.

Egyptians, so likewise these contemptible creatures were upon service there too, and being armed with commission and with power from God, did perform the service upon which they were sent so effectually, that the wisest of Heathens were forced to confess, this is the finger of God.

This is the Lord to whom we address our prayers, that cannot fail in any thing for want of power, for he doeth what he will in heaven and in earth.

Glory.] In these two consists mainly the eminency of kings, in their power and their majesty; but they exceed not the meanest of their subjects, so far as this king surpasseth the greatest of them in both", Clothed with both majesty and strength. They are often resisted, and cut short of their designs for want of sufficient power, and are the best of them often driven to straits; sometimes men, sometimes money or munition, or some other necessary help is wanting, and so their enterprizes fall behind; but this king can challenge and defy all oppositions; I work, (says he) and who shall let it?

And as their power, so their majesty and glory is infinitely short of his; he is the King of Glory, as the Psalmist stiles him, alone truly glorious, both in the excellency of his own nature, and the extrinsi cal glory that arises to him out of his works. Of the former we can know but little here, for that light wherein he dwells is to us inaccessible; but this we know, that he is infinitely above all the praises even of those that do behold him. Likewise how unspeakable is that glory that shines in his works! in the framing of the whole world, and in the upholding and ruling of it from the beginning, in which appear the two former that are here ascribed to him, his kingdom and his power, and so this third, his glory, springs out of both. Then if we consider the glorious attendance that is continually about his throne, as the scriptures describe it to us, it drowns P Psm. xciii. 1,

all the pomp of earthly thrones and courts in their highest degree".

For ever.] This kingdom, and power, and glory of God, besides their transcendent greatness, have this advantage beyond all other kingdoms, and power, and glory, that his are for ever and ever; all other are perishing, nothing but pageants and shows that appear for a while, and pass along and vanish. It was a wise word of a king, (especially at such a time) when he was riding in a stately triumph, and asked by one of his courtiers, thinking to please him, What is wanting here? he answered, continuance. Where are all the magnific kings that have reigned in former ages? Where is their power and their pomp? Is it not past like a dream? And not only are the kings gone but the kingdoms themselves, the greatest in the world fallen to nothing; they had their time of rising, and again of declining, and are buried in the dust: that golden-headed image had brittle feet, and that was the ruin and break of it all. But this kingdom of the most high is an everlasting kingdom, and his glory and power abide for ever.

Not only things on earth decay, but the very hea vens wax old as a garment, (says the Psalmist) but thou, O Lord, art still the same, and thy years have no end.

1. It is a thing of very great importance for us to have our hearts established in the belief of these things, and to be frequent in remembring and considering them; to know that the kingdom is the Lord's, that he sovereignly rules the world, and all things in it, and particularly the great affairs of his church; that he is the mighty God, and therefore that there is no power, or wisdom, nor counsel of men, able to prevail against him; and that in those things wherein his glory seems to suffer for the present, it shall gain and be advanced in the closure.

2. Let us always, and in all things, return this to him as his peculiar due; thine is the glory, it "belongs to thee, and to none other," Deo quæ Dei sunt.

¶ See Apoc. iv.

3. Let us think most reverently of God: Oh that we could attain to esteeming thoughts of him, to think more of his greatness and excellency beyond all the world! It is our great folly to admire any thing but God, this is because we are ignorant of him ; certainly he knows not God that thinks any thing great beside him.

Amen.] In this word concenter all the requests, and are put up together; so be it. And there is in it withal (as all observe) a profession of confidence that it shall be so. It is from one root with these words that signify believing and truth, the truth of God's promising persuades belief, and it persuades to hope for a gracious answer of prayer. And this is the excellent advantage of the prayer of faith, that it quiets and establishes the heart in God. Whatsoever be its estate and desire, when once he hath put his petition into God's hand, he rests content in holy security and assurance concerning the answer, refers it to the wisdom and love of God, how and when he will answer; not doubting that whatsoever it be, and whensoever, it shall both be gracious and seasonable. But the reason why so few of us find that sweetness and comfort that is in prayer, is, because the true nature and use of it is so little known.

AN

EXPOSITION

OF THE

TEN COMMANDMENTS.

EXOD. XX. 1.

And God spake all these words, saying.

T is the character of the blessed man, and the way of blessedness, to delight in the law of God'. And because the eye is often upon that whereon the affection and delight of the heart is set; the sign of that delight in the law, is to have the eye of the mind much upon it, to meditate on it day and night. And that we may know this is not, as the study of many things are, empty speculation and fruitless barren delight, we are further taught the soul (as fixed in this delight and meditation) is a tree well planted, and answerably fruitful. The mind that is set upon this law, is fitly set for bearing fruit, Planted by the rivers of water; and is really fruitful, Bringeth forth its fruit in his season.

If this holds true of the law in the largest sense, taken for the whole will of God revealed in his word, it is no doubt particularly verified in that which more particularly bears the name of the law; this same summary of the rule of man's life, delivered by the Lord himself, after so singular a manner, both by word and writ.

So then the explication of it being needful for the ignorant, it will be likewise profitably delightful

2 Psalm i.