by Him. That God Supports all Things by his Providence, or by the Nod of his Omnipotence is most indubitably certain from the Conduct and Teftimony of the Elders, See Rev. iv. 10, 11. The Four and Twenty Elders fall down before Him that fat on the Throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and caft their Crowns before the Throne, faying, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive Glory, and Honour, and Power: For thou baft created all Things, and for thy Pleafure they are, and were created.

Moft certainly, that God is the Creator, Supporter, Preferver and Governor of All Things, or of the whole Universe, is abundently manifeft from the abfolute Omnipotence of his Will, by which he does all Things. For fuppofe the Deity fhould will that innumerable Millions of Millions of Globes, and each ten thousand Times larger than the terraqueous Globe we inhabit, fhould be immediately created, or produced from Nothing; lo! They would all be constrained to exift, and appear, by Reason of the irrefiftable Power of his Will. Suppofe, furthermore, that the Deity were pleased, that all this great Number of moft enormously vaft Spheres, fhould move in certain Orbits with a Degree of Celerity, far outftripping that of a Cannon Ball for a certain limited Space of Time; and that they should then all be utterly annihilated; behold all would

neceffarily

neceffarily and moft certainly come to pafs, or be endone and effected by the fame moft abfolute duOmnipotence of the Divine Will! Hence it is certain, that whatever God Wills concerncing the Univerfe, that now exists, must be done.

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But it does not only manifeftly appear from ththe abfolute Omnipotence of the Deity, that all Things are governed and over-ruled by the Providence of God, but alfo from many exprets Texts of this moft Holy Bible, but ftudious of Breviety, I fhall cite but one only, which occurs Dan. iv. 34. All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to bis Will in the Army of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay bis Hand, or fay unto bim, what doeft thou?

But fince God is not only wife, but the very -Perfection of Wisdom itfelf, He muft moft certainly have had a certain ultimate, and most Supreme End in View, not only in his moft perfect Decree, but alfo in the Execution of the fame by the Creation, Confervation, and most Supreme Direction of All Things. And what End can this poffibly be, I beseech you, but the very highest, very greateft, and most perfect poffible Honour, Praife and Glory of his own great Name! Moft certainly All Things are Subordinate to, and concenter ultimately in the Glory of God. Hence the wifeft of all mere Men, Solomon affirms, that The Lord bath made all Things for himself; yea, even the Wicked,

for

for the Day of Evil. Prov. xvi. 4. And th is without doubt the real Reason why Paul finally fuperadds, and roundly avers, that Al Things are To Him: To whom be Glory for ever and ever. Amen!

Surely, Auditors, if we do attentively contemplate the Decree, or God's internal Work, together with the Execution of the fame by Creation and Providence, or God's external Work; in a Word, if we do wifely and duely furvey the general Economy of God, both in the Kingdom of Nature and Grace, and alfo the exact, perfect, fweet, univerfal, eternal and most glorious Harmony of All Things, we will clearly perceive, and be conftrained to acknowledge the infinite Greatness, and moft Supreme Praiseworthynefs of JEHOVAH, and at the fame Time to adopt, with the very utmost Cordiallity, the fublime Doxology of our inraptured royal Poet, crying; Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.

In the preceding Context the Pfalmift had teftified his fincere Intention to glorify God both in Time and Eternity, faying; I will extol thee, O my God, thou King; and I will bless thy Name for ever and ever. Every Day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever. The Reason, Motive and Propriety of this his Conduct, are given, and found in our Text: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised Thefe

These few, but most important Words, comprehend in them, the only true and folid Bafis, together with the whole Practice of the pure and unfpotted Religion, or moft reafonable Service of God. Infomuch that the Words of our Text conftitute a moft elegant, and complete Summary of genuine Theology, both Theoretical and Practical.

And to the End that we may be the better enabled to frame unto ourfelves more diftinct Ideas, and enter more deeply into the Spirit of this comprehenfive and moft glorious Subject, we will take particular Notice of two general Heads, into which the fame may be moft naturally divided; viz. we will confider, and attempt to explain a little,

I. First, the grand Object.

II. Secondly, the Exercife demanded concerning the fame.

O Lord the Righteousness of thy Teftimonies is Everlasting: Make us to understand them, and we shall live: Amen!

1. Firft. then, the great Object, concerning which the Pfalmift makes mention, is the Lord. In the original Text we find the Name Jebovab, that is, Being, or He, who fhall be: For this Name is derived from the verb HAVAH, to be. So that the Name Jehovah fignifies that uncreated, eternal, every Way perfeet, and most fupreme Being of God, who has The Caufe and Reafon of his own Existence in

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hirafelf

himself, and not in any Thing without himself. From this infinite Being all Creatures derive their Existence. This Name JEHOVAH alfo teaches us, that God will keep his Covenant, made, with Man inviolate for ever by an abfolute Verification of all the Promises and Menaçes of the fame. In a Word, JEHOVAH is that infinitely excellent, eternal, and moft tremendous Spirit, even the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Rev. i. 8.

And as JEHOVAH, here tranflated by the Word LORD is the greatest and most glorious Name of the infinite and eternal Godhead, it is not to be given to any Creature. Therefore the Lord himself fays: I am JEHOVAH; that is my Name: And my Glory will I not give to another, neither my Praife to graven Images. Ifa. xlii 6. Wherefore the Pfalmift alfo fays; That Men may know that thou, whofe Name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Most High over all the Earth. Pfal. lxxxiii. 18.

No Wonder, then, that the Royal and moft fweet Singer of Ifrael pronounces Him (Jehovah) GREAT.

By the GREATNESS of Jehovah, we are, In general to understand the abfolute infinitude of all the Divine Attributes and Perfections. Or it is that far more exceeding and eternal Weight of God's Glory, by reason of which he is Infinitely more than worthy of all poffible