But proceed we with the prophet's prayer.
From verse 3 to 1 7, he layeth doAvn several arguments, taken from the majesty, power, providence, and former works of God, for the supporting of his faith to the obtaining of those good things and works of mercy which lie was now praying for. We shall look on them, as they lie in our way.
Verse 3. " God came from Teman, the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, the earth was full of his praise."
Teman ^ was a city of the Edomites, whose land the people of Israel compassed in the wilderness, when they were stung with fiery serpents, and healed -svith looking on a brasen serpent, set up to be a type of Christ. Teman is put up for the whole land of Edom ; and the prophet makes mention of it for the great deliverance and mercy granted there to the people when they were almost consumed ; — that's God's coming from Teman. See Numb. xxi. 5-9. When they were destroyed by fiery serpents, he heals them by a type of Christ, — giv- ing them coii:>oreal, and raising them to a faith of spiritual, salvation.
Paran,^ the next place mentioned, was a mountain in the land of Ishmael, near which Moses repeated the law; and from thence God can'ied the people immediately to Canaan ; — another eminent act of mercy.
Unto these he addeth the word Selah ; as it is a song, a note of elevation in singing ; as it respects the matter, not the form, a note of admiration and special observation. Selah, — consider them well, for they were great works indeed. Special mercies must have special observation.
Now, by reason of these actions the prophet affirms that the glory of God covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise ; — lofty expressions of the advancement of God's glory, and the fulness of his praise amongst his people of the earth, which attended that merciful deliverance and gracious assistance. Nothing is higher or greater than that which covers heaven, and fills earth. God's^ glory is exceed- ingly exalted, and his praise increased everywhere, by acts of favour and kindness to his people.
' Gen. xxxvi. l.T; .Tor. xlix. 7; Ohad. 9. s Deut. i. 1.
' " (Jloria ost frequons de aliqiio fama cum laiide." — Cic. lili. ii., I)e Inv. " Con- sentiens Jaus bononmi, iiicorrupta vox bene judicantium deexcellente virtute." — Idem. Tusc, lib. iii.
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That -vvhicli I sliall clioose, from amongst many others that present themselves, a little to insist upon, is, that —
VII. Observation — Former mercies, with their times and places, are to he had in thankful remembrance unto them who wait for future blessings.
Faith is to this end separated by them. " Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep ; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?" Isa. li. 9, 10. The breaking of Rahab, — that is, Egypt, so called here, and Ps. Ixxxvii. 4, Ixxxix. 10, for her great strength, which the word signifies, — and the wounding of the dragon, that great and crooked afflicter, Pharaoh, is remembered, and urged for a motive to a new needed deliverance. So Ps. Ixxiv. 13, 14, " Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness." Leviathan, — the same dragon, oppressing, persecuting Pharaoh, — thou brakest his heads, his counsels, armies, power ; and gavest him for meat, that the people for forty years together might be fed, sustained, and nourislied with that wonderful mercy. " Out of the eater came forth meat; out of the strong came forth sweetness."
In this reciprocation God waUceth with his people. Of free grace he bestoweth mercies and blessings on them; by grace works the returns of remembrance and thankfulness unto himself for them; then showers that down again in new mercies. The countries which send up no vapours, receive down no showers. Remembrance with thankfulness of former mercies is the matter, as it were, which by God's goodness is condensed into following blessings. For, —
1. Mercies have their proper end, when thankfully remembered. What more powerful motive to the obtaining of new, than to hold out that the old were not abused? We are encouraged to cast seed again into that ground whose last crop witnesseth that it was not altogether barren. That sad spot of good Hezekiah, that he rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, is set down as the opening a door of wrath against himself, Judah, and Jerusalem, 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. On the other side, suitable returns are a door of hope for far- ther mercies.
2. The remembrance of them strengthens faith, and keeps our hands from hanging down in the time of waiting for blessings. When faith is supported, the promise is engaged, and a mercy at any time more than half obtained. " Faith is the substance of things hoped for," Heb. xi. 1. " God," saith the apostle, " hath delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver." Now, what conclusion makes he