hath made every thing beautiful." All the creatures are as so many pictures, or statues, exactly framed by line. (Ps. xix. 4.) "Their line is gone."

3. In the fitness of every thing for its end. After the most diligent inspection, there can be found nothing unprofitable. The earth is fitted into his parts; the valleys are appointed for granaries, the mountains to shadow them; the rivers, like veins, carry refreshment. (Ps. civ. 14.) "There he causes the grass to grow." The sea is fitted for its use; it is a fish-pond, for the nourishment of man; it joins nations: a great vessel for commerce. (Ps. civ. 26.) “There go the ships." Showers are appointed, to refresh the bodies, to open the womb of the earth. (Ps. civ. 3.) “To make it fruitful." Winds are fitted to purify the air, to carry the clouds, to refresh the earth. (Ps. civ. 3.) "He walketh on the winds." Rivers are appointed to bathe the earth; they are the water-pots of the earth. (Ps. civ. 10, 12, 13.) Trees are for the habitations of birds. The seasons have their uses. The days and nights have also their usefulness. Ps. lxxiv. 16, 17; civ. 23.

4. This wisdom is apparent, in the linking all those useful parts together. All parts are exactly suited to one another, and every part to the whole. "The hea vens hear the earth." Hos. ii. 21, 22.

III. In his government, especially of man.

I. In his government of him as a rational creature,

in the law he gives him.

1. It is suited to the nature of man.

2. To his happiness.

xix. 7,8; Deut. iv. 8.

"Rejoicing his heart." Ps.

3. In suiting his laws to his conscience. "The gentiles do by nature.” (Rom. ii. 14.) Conscience dictates that the law is worthy to be observed.

4. In the encouragement he gives. thy commandments." Ps. xix. 11.

"In keeping

2. God's wisdom appears in the government of man as a fallen creature.

1. In the bounding of sin. "The wrath of man." Ps. lxxvi. 10.

2. In over-ruling it to his own glory and our good, "As sin reigned unto death." Rom. v. 21.

3. In the work of redemption. In which he manifested the greatest hatred to sin, and the greatest love to the sinner. "Herein is love-God so loved the world."

4. In overturning the empire of satan. "Through death." (Heb. ii. 14.) Thus the devil ruined his own kingdom, whilst he thought to establish it.

5. In the manner of publishing the doctrine of redemption. In the general discoveries of it to Abraham and Moses; the time and circumstances of the first publication of the Gospel by the apostles. (Acts ii. 1-12.) In the instruments employed: he did not employ philosophers, but fishermen. "The foolishness of God is wiser than men." In the ways and manner: by ways seemingly contrary; by scattering of the disciples, it inflamed their courage, and spread their doctrine. Many shall run to and fro." (Dan. xii. 4.) The flames of the martyrs brightened the doctrine. Religion grew stronger by sufferings; making the "wisdom of this world foolishness with God."

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To conclude-
e-we may hence see,

1. The right and fitness of God for the government of the world. Power and wisdom are the two arms of authority.

2. That God is a proper object for our trust and confidence. The Lord knoweth how to deliver." (Job

v. 13.) He taketh the wisc.

3. Meditate on the wisdom of God, as manifested in creation. (Ps. viii. 4, 5.) “When I consider the heavens." In redemption, shall the angels be ravished with it, and bend themselves down to study it, and shall not we admire it. Prov. ii. 1-6.

4. Let us seek to God for wisdom. "If any man Jack wisdom." (Jam. i. 17.) There is a spirit in man. Job xxii. 8.

Submit to the wisdom of God in all cases; he is a God of judgment.

ON THE HOLINESS OF GOD.

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?—Ex. xv. 11.

THIS verse is one of the loftiest descriptions of the majesty and excellence of God, in the whole scripture. It is a part of Moses' triumphant song, after a great, and real, and a typical victory; in the womb of which all the deliverances of the church were couched. It is the first song upon holy record, and it consists of gratulatory and prophetic matter. It casts a look backward, to what God did for them in our deliverance from Egypt; and a look foward, to what God shall do for the church in future ages.

It consists of, 1. A preface, verse 1-" I will sing unto the Lord."

2. An historical narration of matter of fact, verses 3, 4. "Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast

into the Red Sea."

Let these two things be considered. If any, this attribute hath an excellency above his other perfections;

none is sounded out so loftily, with such solemnity, and so frequently by angels, as this. (Isa. vi. 3.) "Holy, holy, holy." (Rev. iv. 8.) He singles' it out to swear by. (Ps. Ixxxix. 35.) "Once have I sworn by my holiness." (Amos. iv. 2.) "The Lord will swear by his holiness;" it is glory and beauty. Power is his hand and arm, omniscience his eye, mercy his bowels, eternity his duration, his holiness is his beauty. (2 Chron. xx. 21.) "Should praise the beauty of holiness." It is his very life. So it is called. (Eph. iv, 18.) "Alienated from the life of God;" that is, from the holiness of God. Be you holy, as I am holy".

I. The nature of Divine holiness.

The holiness of God, negatively, is a perfect and unpolluted freedom from all evil? as we call gold pure that is not embased by any dross.

Positively, it is the rectitude or integrity of the Divine nature; or that conformity of it in affection and action of the Divine will, whereby he hath a delight and complacency in every thing agreeable to his will. As there is no darkness in his understanding, so there is no spot in his will. (Ps. xi. 7.) "The righte ous Lord loveth righteousness."

This property of the Divine nature is,

1. An essential and necessary perfection; he is essentially and necessarily holy. His holiness is as necessary as his being.

2. God is only absolutely holy: "There is none holy as the Lord." It is the peculiar glory of his nature he is not only holy, but holiness. Holiness, in the highest degree, is his sole prerogative.

3. God is so holy, that he cannot possibly approve of any evil done by another, but doth perfectly abhor it; would not else be a glorious holiness. (Ps.

v. 4.)" He hath no pleasure in wickedness."

1. He abhors it necessarily. Holiness is the glory of the Deity, therefore necessary. The nature of God is so holy, that he cannot but hate it. (Hab. i. 13.) "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil.” He is more opposite to it than light to darkness; and therefore it can expect no countenance from him.

2. Therefore intensely. Nothing do men act for more than their glory. He hates the first spark of it in the imagination. (Zach. viii. 17.) With what variety of expressions doth he repeat his indignation at their polluted services; (Amos v. 21, 22; so Isa. i. 14.) it is the abominable thing that he hates; (Jer. xliv. 4.) he is vexed and fretted at it; (Isa. Ixiii. 10; Ezek. xvi, 43.) he abhors it so, that his hatred redounds upon the person that commits it. (Ps. v. 5.) “He hates all workers of iniquity."

3. Therefore universally, because necessarily and intensely. He doth not hate it in one, and indulge it in another, but lothes it wherever he finds it; not one worker of iniquity is exempt from it. (Ps. v. 5.) "Thou hatest all workers of iniquity."

4. Perpetually. This must necessarily follow upon the others. He can no more cease to hate impurity, than he can cease to love holiness. (James i. 17.) God is always the same, without any shadow of change; and "is angry with the wicked every day," (Ps. vii. 11.) i. e. uninterruptedly.

5. God is so holy, that he cannot but love holiness in others. Not that he owes any thing to his creatures, but from the unspeakable holiness of his nature. (Ps. xi. 7.) "The righteous Lord loveth righteousness." 6. God is so holy, that he cannot positively will, or encourage sin in any. How can he give any en