to come up to him in the way that he has opened, he calls "to the prisoners to come forth, and to them that are in darknefs to fhew themfelves," If. xlix. 9.

[The profecution and enforcements of this exhorta tion are wanting, but may be fupplied from the preceding: ufes of terror to finners, and encouragement to faints to fol low Christ in the character of a Breaker. The reverend au thor had prepared about a quarter of a fheet to infert here, but his fickness and death ensuing, I was thereby deprived of the fame by certain unexpected incidents, which I thall for bear to mention.]

A fecond word of exhortation is to believers, efpecially unto believing communicants, who have been getting the feal of the covenant, the pledges of his love, at a communion table.

Is it fo that Chrift has broken up the way to glory? has he taken the field as our renowned General, to fight our battles against all the oppofing powers of hell and earth, and their auxiliaries?

Then let me exhort you to pull up your drooping fpirits; take courage and hold on your way, and march to glory; fight the good fight of faith, and perfevere therein to the end, maugre all the oppofition you may meet with from your fpi

ritual enemies.

I need make use of no other motive to engage your compliance with my exhortation, than what the words of my text afford, The Breaker is come up before you; and if you re quire an authentic commentary upon this, you have it in the clofe of the verfe, Their King fhall pass before them, and Jebovah on the head of them. There feems to be an allufion unto the march of an army, with their general on their head; or the march of Ifrael through the wildernefs, with the pillar of fire and cloud before them. Where four things may be no ticed for your encouragement in your march through the wil

dernefs of this world.

1ft, Obferve your General's name, it is Jehovah.

2dly, His royal office and relation, he is their King. 3dly, His proximity or nearness to the army, he is on their

bead.

4thly, His majestic mein, conduct, and behaviour, fuited to his office and relation.

ft, I fay, for thy encouragement in thy march and journey to Immanuel's land, through the howling wilderness, take a view of your General's name, it is Jehovah: The Lord (or Je hovah, as it is in the original) is on the head of them. This is

not

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ot the name of any inferior dependent being; no, it is a ame peculiar only to the moft high, fupreme, and felfxiftent God, Pfal. lxxxiii. 18. “ That men may know that ou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Moft High over the earth." It is "by this name that he rides upon the eavens in the help of his people, and in his.excellency on the y," Deut. xxxiii. 26. The name of a fuccefsful and victoous general will inspire the whole army with courage, and rike a terror into the hearts of the enemy. Well, believer, e name of thy General, and the Captain of thy falvation, is HOVAH, a name at which every knee must bow, of things in eaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: All e devils in hell fall a trembling at the greatnefs of this name 4 nd therefore take courage, hold on thy way, and refift even ato blood, ftriving against fin, under the conduct of fuch a enowned name, faying with the church, Pfal. xx. 5. "We ill be joyful in thy falvation, and in the name of our God e will fet up our banners."

And because we are called and commanded, in our work nd warfare, to trust in the name of the Lord, and to ftay ourlves upon him, as our God; therefore, to encourage faith 1 this name, I will only give two or three additional epithets at I find affixed to it in fcripture.

I. I find him called JEHOVAH TSIDKENEU, The Lord our Righteousness: Jer. xxiii. 6. "This is his name, whereby he hall be called, The LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." He has, y his active and paffive obedience unto the law, brought in verlafting righteousness for our justification, by which righte ufnefs the law is magnified and made honourable, and we hrough faith in him, have the righteousness of the law fulilled in us; and therefore, whenever the law, as a covenant, comes to demand the debt of obedience, as the condition of ife, or bends its curfe against thee, for the violation of its precepts, thou art to improve the name of thy General, by an applying faith, faying, He is the Lord my righteoufnefs, he was made fin for me, who knew no fin, that I might be made he righteousness of God in him.

2. I find him fometimes called JEHOVAH ROPHI, The Lord hy Healer or Physician, Exod. xv. 26. ; and therefore, whenever thou findeft thyfelf wounded by the fiery darts of Satan, or the peftilence or contagion of fin, in any thape, affecting thy foul with deadnefs, darknefs, weakness, unbelief, enmity, or be what it will, prefently have recourfe to thy General, for he is the Captain of falvation, and by looking unto him thou halt be healed, as Ifrael was healed in the wilderness, by looking unto the brazen ferpent. 3 N

VOL. III.

3. I

3. I find him fometimes called JEHOVAH SHAMMAH, The Lord is there, Ezek. laft chapter, last verse; which points at his gracious prefence in his church, and among his people: "He is in the midst of her, the fhall not be moved; the Lord will help her, and that right early." By his effential prefence he fills heaven and earth; and he is prefent in his church, in a way of special grace, for he fays of Zion, "This is my reft for ever, here will I dwell; the Lord is there fitting upon a mercy-feat, to hear, help, and give out liberally to his fubjects.

4. He is fometimes defigned JEHOVAH-JIREH, The Lord will fee or provide, Gen. xxii. 14. This name is a glorious encouragement under any want or ftrait, whether as to the foul or body, for hereby we are affured, that, "when the poor and needy feek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, the Lord will hear them, the God of Ifrael will not forfake them," Ifa. xli. 17.

5. I find him called JEHOVAH-NISSI, The Lord my Banner, Exod. xvii. 15. because he gives a banner unto them that fear him, and they display it because of truth; and when they are allowed accefs unto him in his ordinances, "they fit down under his fhadow with great delight, and his banner over them is love. His name is a banner of war, a banner of victory, a banner of triumph, unto them that truft in it.

2dly, We have in the words not only Chrift's name, but his office and relation to his people; he is their King, the Captain of their falvation; he is a perfon of royal authority, and he is inftalled King of Zion by his Father, Píal, ii. 6. Yet have I fet my King upon my holy hill of Zion: He hath on his vefture, and on his thigh, a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords," Rev. xix. And that you may admire, and truft, and honour him as a mighty King,

1. Confider the height of his throne; it is the very fame throne that the Father fits upon, hence called the throne of God and of the Lamb. When he overcame, he fat down with the Father on his throne, Rev. iii. at the clofe; and this throne of his is fo high and lifted up, that when the angels look up to its height and glory, they are so dazzled that they cover their faces with their wings.

2. Confider the magnificence of his dwelling-place. Other kings have their royal palaces; but what are they, with all their fplendour, but piles of duft? Zion's King he inhabits. eternity; he dwelleth in the high and holy place, and in light that is inacceffible and full of glory, which no man hath feen, nor can fee. O who fhall dwell with him in his tabernacle? See an answer, Pial. xxiv. 4.

3. Let us take a view of the fplendour of his retinue, "The trmies which are in heaven follow him," armies of angels, and he armies of the faints. His court is crowded with attendnts, "Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of houfands, minifter unto him."

4. Confider the vastness of his revenues; he levies tribute rom heaven, earth, and hell. All creatures whatfoever pay a reenue of praife unto him, as their great Lord, Rev. vii. 1o. The hurch triumphant cries," Salvation to our God who fitteth pon the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever." The hurch militant adore him, faying, "Let the whole earth be illed with his glory." Yea, hell itself must pay a tribute of raife unto his juftice, and acknowledge the equity of his adniniftration.

5. Confider the largenefs of his dominion, in refpect of all serfons and places; "His kingdom ruleth over all," Pfal. ii. 19. His kingdom of grace, under the New Teftament, xtendeth to the heathen, and the uttermoft parts of the earth. And in refpect of duration, his kingdom is an everlasting kinglom. In a word, he is the "King of kings, and Lord of ords, the Prince of the Kings of the earth; by him kings eign, and princes decree justice." O who would not follow uch a King? who would not defire to be amongst the num er of his fubjects? who would not defire to efpoufe his caufe igainst all that dare to invade his prerogatives, as many are loing at this day, by encroaching on the immunities and liberties of his fubjects? Do it who will, it will be to their own coft in the iffue.

3dly, Another thing here, mighty encouraging to the fubjects and followers of this mighty Prince, is his proximity or nearnefs unto his fubjects or foldiers, "He is on the head of them." He is not only a Head of government, or a King, but he is also a Head of influence, fuch a head as that of the natural body unto the members, which cannot be feparated, but must always be where the members are. "God hath given him to be Head over all things unto the church, which is his body." He and they are "joined together by one fpirit," Rom. viii. Col. ii. 19. "Not holding the Head, from which all the body, as by joints and bands, having nourishment miniftred, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God."

O what a great matter is this! and how may it infpire believers to hold on their way, and maintain their warfare, that the Lord, or Jehovah, is on the head of them! There are two or three mighty encouragements that arife hence.

1. If Jehovah be on thy head, he knows well how matters.

go

go with his militant members in the field of battle. Do not fay therefore, "My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgement is paffed over from my God, for his eyes run to and fro through the whole earth." A hair of your head cannot fall to the ground, without his knowledge and permiffion.

2. If Jehovah be on thy head, thou fhalt not want what is needful to bear thy charges in thy journey and warfare. The whole army here is provided and maintained upon the expence of the General. More particularly,

(1.) The army must be provided of meat and drink: Well, Jehovah on the head of them will fee to this, "Thy bread fhall be given thee, and thy water fhall be fure. Thy wants fhall all be supplied by thy God, according to his riches in glory, by Chrift Jefus."

(2.) The army must have clothing: Well, Jehovah on their head will fee to that alfo; he has provided an armoury, wherein hang the fhields of the mighty men of war, Eph. vi. You fee there what a vaft complete ftand of armour Jehovah has provided for his foldiers, the fhield of faith, the helmet of falvation, the breaft-plate of righteousness, the girdle of truth, the fword of the Spirit; nothing is wanting there, to offend the enemy, or defend the foul in its warfare.

(3.) The army must have their garrifon for winter quar. ters, where they may be fheltered from stormy wind and tem pest: Well, Jehovah on the head of them, he has provided this, yea, he himself is their garrison, their dwelling-place in all generations: He is a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempeft, &c.

(4.) The army muft have their orders and directions how to direct their motions, efpecially in a march: Well, Jeho vah on the head of them, he will not let this be wanting ei ther; his "law is a lamp to their feet, and a light unto their path. He hath fhewed thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord thy God requireth of thee."

(5.) The fick and wounded in the army must be feen to: Well, Jehovah on the head of them is an experienced Phyfician, and a tender hearted Shepherd, he gathers the lambs with his arm, he tenderly bindeth up the wounds of them that are broken in heart, and wounded in fpirit. Thus you fee what glorious encouragement arifes from this, that Jehovah

is on the head of them.

4thly, We have here their glorious and victorious march, under the conduct of Jehovah: he paffes on before them; where these things are implied:

1. That, hereaway [in this earth], believers are not at home, for they are but on a journey; they are like Ifrael in the wil

dernefs,