An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

His orders go forth into all lands, his dominion is under the whole heavens and unto the ends of the earth (Psalm. 65.5.) He is the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the Sea. God is not helpful to his people in one place of the earth, and not in another, or helpful to them upon the earth, and not upon the Sea, but to the ends of the earth, and upon the broad sea he is their confidence, that is, they may con••de and trust in him wheresoever they are. Hence that expostulation in the prophet (Jeremiah 23.23.) Am I (saith the Lord) a God at hand, and not a God afar off? Some would circumscribe and limit the Power of God, as if being a God near at hand he could not be a God afar off too, or to those who are scattered to the ends of the earth. But while he puts the question, am I a God at hand and not afar off? he puts it out of question, that he is a God afar off as well as at hand. The Syrians said & pleased themselves in their conceit (1 Kings 20.28.) The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys; therefore they would change the battle, as if he could order things here and not there; but all shall find & feel him (as they did) a God both of the hills & of the valleys, a God both of the Land and of the Sea, a God both at hand, and afar off. It is said of the Empire of the Sun (Psal. 19▪ 6.) his going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof: much more may I say of the Empire of God, his going forth is from one end of the earth to the other, ⟨p. 454⟩and there is nothing hid from his wisdom and government. One of the Ancients gives his sentence clearly with this truth;¹ He (saith he) that ruleth in the highest heavens doth not forsake the ends of the earth, he is every where present, and every where alike present; though the places are unlike, yet the presence of the Lord is a like when need requires it. That's further matter of comfort, that under the whole heaven and unto the ends of the earth we may find the Lord ready for us, and disposing all things, not only for good, but for the best. He directeth it &c.