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

These wildernesses the thundering voice of the Lord hath shaken heretofore, and doth shake at this day, and will yet further shake, that the fullness of the Gentiles may come in. Many of these wildernesses hath the Lord turned into fruitful fields, and pleasant lands, by the voice of the Gospel sounding among them. For in these wildernesses (as it followeth vers. 9.) The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve; that is, they that were as wild, as untaught and untamed as the hind or any beast in the forrest, he brings to the sorrows of thei• new-birth, to Repentance and Gospel-humiliation: And in doing this He (as the Psalmist goes on) discovereth the forests, that is, opens the hearts of men, which are as thick set and full grown with vanity, pride, hypocrisy, self-love, and self-sufficiency, as also with wantonness and sensuality, as any forest is over-grown with thickets of trees and bushes, which deny all passage through, till cleared away by cutting down or burning up; Such an opening, such a discovery doth the Lord make in the forests of mens hearts, by the Sword and Fire, that is, by the Word and Spirit of the Gospel; and when all this is done, the forrest becomes a Temple, and as that verse concludes, In his temple doth every one speak of his glory. And if the floods of ungodliness rise up against this people, whom the thunder and lightning of the Gospel have subdued to Christ and framed into a holy Temple, then the Psalmist assureth us (vers. 10.) The Lord sitteth upon the flood, that is, 'tis under his power, he ruleth and over-ruleth it: yea, The Lord sitteth King for ever, and (v. 11.) The Lord will give strength to his people, the Lord will ⟨p. 464⟩bless his people with peace. Thus the Lord thundereth marvellously and these are glorious marvels which he thundereth; he converts sinners. The thunder of the Gospel frights them out of sin, and the grace of it gives them peace.

These wildernesses the thundering voice of the Lord hath shaken heretofore, and doth shake at this day, and will yet further shake, that the fulness of the Gentiles may come in. Many of these wildernesses hath the Lord turned into fruitful fields, and pleasant lands, by the voice of the Gospel sounding among them. For in these wildernesses (as it followeth vers. 9.) The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve; that is, they that were as wild, as untaught and untamed as the hind or any beast in the forrest, he brings to the sorrows of thei new-birth, to Repentance and Gospel-humiliation: And in doing this He (as the Psalmist goes on) discovereth the forrests, that is, opens the hearts of men, which are as thick set and full grown with vanity, pride, hypocrisie, self-love, and self-sufficiency, as also with wantonness and sensuality, as any forest is over-grown with thickets of trees and bushes, which deny all passage through, till cleared away by cutting down or burning up; Such an opening, such a discovery doth the Lord make in the forrests of mens hearts, by the Sword and Fire, that is, by the Word and Spirit of the Gospel; and when all this is done, the forrest becomes a Temple, and as that verse concludes, In his temple doth every one speak of his glory. And if the floods of ungodliness rise up against this people, whom the thunder and lightning of the Gospel have subdued to Christ and framed into a holy Temple, then the Psalmist assureth us (vers. 10.) The Lord sitteth upon the flood, that is, 'tis under his power, he ruleth and over-ruleth it: yea, The Lord sitteth King for ever, and (v. 11.) The Lord will give strength to his people, the Lord will