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ening it. In the last part of the verse, he animates his own faith, and enforces his requeft, by calling to remembrance paft tranfactions, and former difplays of the power and grace of an unchangeable God. By Rahab and the dragon we are to understand Egypt and her king, as appears by comparing other paffages of Scripture, particularly by Pf. lxxxvi. 4. and Ezek. xxix. 3. the laft of which runs thus: "Thus faith the Lord, Behold, I am against "thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth "in the midft of his rivers: which hath faid, my river is "mine own, and I have made it for myself."

In difcourfing on this subject, what I propose, through the affiftance of divine grace, is,

I. To point out to you the import of this prayer in the firft part of this paffage, of this paffage," Awake, awake, put on ftrength,

"O arm of the Lord."

II. To confider the encouragement included in the last part of it, "Awake as in ancient days, in the generations "of old: art not thou it that hath cut Rahab, and wound"ed the dragon?"

III. To apply the fubject to our present fituation.

And we are to confider,

Awake,

I. The meaning and iniport of the prayer: "awake, put on ftrength, O arm of the Lord." And in this I have no hope either of inftructing or perfuading any but those who have fome measure of real religion, who do unfeignedly believe, and will, when called upon, recollect the conftant fuperintendency of Divine Providence. These only will be sensible that, as every event is directed and over-ruled by the Almighty, fo there are righteous, wife and gracious purposes to be ferved by them. All men it is true, are ready to complain under diftrefs. The most wicked and profligate," when the waters are gone into "their foul," when they feel their mifery, will cry for relief. And, as they will turn them on every hand, and lay hold on every twig that may afford the leaft profpect of

faving them from finking, fo the terror of divine power, with which public calamity is fometimes accompanied, will even make them cry unto God. But there is a great difference, between this complaint of the miserable, and the prayer of faith, which proceeds upon juft views of the nature and government of God, and is affured of fuccefs. It may fometimes pleafe God to make ufe of defolating judgments or alarming public ftrokes to awaken a fecure thoughtlefs generation; but dutiful, acceptable and fuccessful prayer for their removal, can only be the work of his own children.

Perhaps it may be thought unneceffary to direct perfons of this character to the proper object of their prayers, as they must be fuppofed habitually to flow from right principles, and to point at juft and warrantable ends. But it is certain, that, when wickednefs and profaneness greatly and univerfally prevail in any nation, the real fervants of God are not only few in number, but even this little flock, always receives fome degree of infection. This we are taught to expect by our bleffed Saviour, who fays, " And

becaufe iniquity fhall abound, the love of many fhall "wax cold." They may both be negligent and defective in their duty, reftraining prayer before God, and may be in a great meafure unmindful of the great and principal views with which they ought to offer up their interceffory requests. But, hoping that all fuch among you as are justly liable to this charge, will difcern the light, and feel the force of divine truth, it is my defire to ftir up your pure minds by way of remembrance.

And, in general, fuch a petition as this," Awake, "awake, put on ftrength, O arm of the Lord," fuggefts to

us,

that our prayers for divine interpofition and deliverance from public calamities fhould be fupremely directed to the glory of God. This, as it is, upon the whole, the leading purpose of every real believer, fo it ought to hallow every single action, and purify every particular defire. Therefore our prayers must be conceived in fuch a manner, and our defires after deliverance muft be fo qualified, that the fupreme honor due to God may be preserved inviolate, that duty may

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maintain its precedency before intereft, and fin may be ftill more feared and avoided than fuffering. The great end both of perfonal affliction, and national correction, is to weaken our attachment to present and temporal enjoyiment, by ftaining its glory, and convincing us of its vanity. If then our chief or only aim, in afking deliverance from outward calamity, is that we may again recover the eafe and quiet of fecurity, and the pleasure of plenty, though we may feem to honor God by imploring his aid, yet is our homage really given to a fenfual idol.

That this is neither impoffible nor unfrequent, is plain from the hiftory of the children of Ifrael. They often applied to God in their ftraits: "When he flew them, then

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they fought him, they returned and enquired early after God."* But this fort of feeking, merely for prefent relief, or temporal mercies, was far from being acceptable to him. We are told, that it was tempting God, thus" to afk meat for their luft."+ In oppofition to this, let us look into the grounds affigned in Scripture for God's granting deliverance and thence learn with what views we ought to implore it. The Pfalmift fays, "Nevertheless "he faved them for his name's fake, that he might make

his mighty power to be known." And the prophet Ezekiel," But I wrought for my name's fake, that it "fhould not be polluted before the Heathen among whom they were, in whofe fight I made myself known to them, "in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt."

But, in order to illuftrate this a little further, observe, that a juft regard to the glory of God, in our prayers, implies the two following things. In the firft place, That we expect deliverance from God alone, defire that it may be. attended with fuch circumftances as his hand and power may be feen in it, and are willing to acknowledge him as the fupreme and only Author of it. This is plainly included in the words of the prophet, "Awake, awake, put "on ftrength, O arm of the Lord." As if he had faid, In thee alone is our hope; "curfed be the man that maketh flefh his arm." A prophane irreligious people are al

Pfal. lxxviii. 34. ↑ Pfal. Ixxviii. 18.

Pfal. cvi. 8.

ways prone, in, undertaking any enterprize, to put their truft in human prowefs, to glory and boaft in the greatness of their strength. And when they are difappointed in their expectations, they are ready to dwell so much upon fecond causes, that they entirely overlook, or are with great difficulty brought to acknowledge the fupreme agency of God. We may, however be fenfible, by his taking to himself fo often, in Scripture, the title of the Lord of hosts, "great in might and ftrong in battle," that fuch conduct is robbing him of the glory that is juftly his due. Many are the warnings we have in the word of God not to place too much confidence in any human means of fafety. "Put not your truft in Princes (fays the Pfalmift). "nor in the fon of man in whom there is no help.* There "is no king faved by the multitude of an hoft: a mighty "man is not delivered by much ftrength. An horfe is a "vain thing for fafety, neither can he deliver any by his "great ftrength." And there is no Scripture truth more frequently, or more fenfibly confirmed in the course of providence. How often do we find, both in former and in later ages, the events of war diametrically opposite to the greatest human probability, and the moft confident human expectation?

Now prayer for divine interpofition fhould always be made under a deep impreffion of this truth. And indeed we fhall never come to importunity and fervency in prayer for fuch a mercy, till we are fomewhat affected with it. All the honor that is given to man is taken from God. All truft and dependance on human means as fuch, or on their own account, divides and weakens our reliance on God. But when he is confidered as the fingle and only fource of relief, we apply with that ardor and earnestness which neceflity and extremity fuggeft. This doth not hinder the diligent ufe and application of outward means, but keeps them in their proper place, induces us to afk the divine bleffing upon them, and prevents us from provoking the divine jealoufy by idolizing and trufting in

them.

Pf. cxlvi. 3.

† Pf. xxaili, 16, 17

It ought alfo to be our defire, that the glory of divine power may vifibly fhine in our deliverance; not only that his hand may do it, but that his hand may be seen in it, and, if poffible, to the conviction of all. Nothing is more impious, and nothing more provoking to God, than when men arrogate to themselves the honor of what they have done by his help, or acquired by the bounty of his providence. Hear the language of the proud monarch of the eaft," Is not this great Babylon that I have built, for "the house of the kingdom, by the might of MY power, "and for the honor of My majefty?"* But mark the unexpected change by the more powerful word of the King of Kings. "When the word was in the king's "mouth there fell a voice from heaven, faying, O King "Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is fpoken, the kingdom is

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departed from thee." How often in Scripture is the deftruction and punishment of kings and princes afcribed to their felf-fufficiency, infolence and pride? Thus in that remarkable prophecy against the king of Babylon : "For thou haft faid in thine heart, I will afcend into "heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: "I will fit alfo upon the mount of the congregation in "the fides of the north. I will afcend above the heights "of the clouds. I will be like the most High. Yet thou "fhalt be brought down to hell, to the fides of the pit. "They that fee thee, fhall narrowly look upon thee and "confider thee, faying, Is this the man that made the "earth to tremble, that did fhake kingdoms? That made "the world as a wildernefs, and deftroyed the cities there"of; that opened not the house of his prifoners?" How ftrongly does this prove, that in order to pray acceptably for the interpofition of divine Providence, we fhould be willing that God alone fhould have the honor entire and undivided. "That the lofty looks of man should be "humbled, and the haughtinefs of man fhould be bowed "down, and the Lord alone exalted in that day."|| Was it not thus that the ancient warriors of the holy nation fought and profpered? In confidence of divine aid, or

Dan. iv. 30. † Ver. 31. + If. xiv. 13, 17. H IS. ii. 11.

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