Let us, by truth and contemplation led, From modern scenes, and European climes Retire; and thro' the fields of Palestine,

of himself, directly assumes this character, Rev. ii. 23.... "And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and heart, and I will give unto every one of you according to your works," John ii. 24, 25. "He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man." Ezek. xxxiv. 11, 12. The infinite Johovah condescends to take upon him the character of the great and true shepherd of Israel; for thus saith the Lord God, Behold I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out, as a shepherd seeketh out his flock, Isaiah xl. 10, 11. "Behold the Lord God will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him; behold his reward is with him, and his work before him, he shall feed his flock like a shepherd." The Lord Jesus assumes this character, John x. 17. I am the good shepherd," 1 Peter ii. 25. "For ye were as sheep going astray, but ye are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls," Heb. xviii. 20. "Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep." The supreme government of heaven and earth is ascribed to the deity, Psalm xlvii. 2, 7. "For the Lord most high is terrible, he is a great king over all the earth, for God is the king of all the earth." But this is ascribed to the Lord Jesus, Rev. xix. 16, as his proper name and title, “ 'King of kings, and Lord of lords." The final judgment of all men, is a work for which none but the deity can be competent; it is therefore ascribed unto him, Psalm 1. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6. "The mighty God even the Lord, hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun, unto the going down thereof: our God shall come, and shall not keep silence, a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him; he shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth.

D

Imperial Salem, and the flow'ry vale

Of Olivet, attend the Saviour-God.
See him, a man, in humble plain attire,

that he may judge his people, and the heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God is judge himself." But the New Testament declares that grand work will be performed by the Lord Jesus Christ....See Matt. xxv, John v. 22, 23.... "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the father; he that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father which hath sent him." Now, none can be competent to be the judge of men and angels, but he who is the infinitely righteous, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God. But the Lord Jesus Christ will be the judge of men and angels, consequently he is the infinitely righteous, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God, Isa. viii. 13, 14.

"Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread and he shall be for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of effence to both houses of Israel," Compare this with Rom. ix. 32, 33. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone, as it is written, "Behold I lay in Zion a stumblingstone, and rock of offence, and whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed." Here it is very evident that the Lord Jesus Christ is intended, but Isaiah styles this very person the Lord of Hosts himself. Consequently, the Lord Jesus is the Lord of Hosts himself, which is the grand and most sublime characteristic of the deity, and which none but the selfexistent deity can possibly sustain. If we attend to the testimony the Lord Jesus bears of himself, we shall find that he assumes the most essential attributes of the godhead, in the plainest and most unequivocal manner possible, Rev. i 8. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty," ver. 17. I am the first and the last,"

Despis'd, rejected by the sons of men,
Though from his lips all-gracious accents flow,
And heav'nly wisdom sits upon his tongue.
Though his kind heart and lib'ral hand diffuse
Ten thousand all-important blessings round:
Astonish'd multitudes about him press,
And from his rich magnificence, receive
Supplies, as various as their wants require;
For thro' the veil of flesh, that deep disguise,
The glories of a God illustrious shine :
In acts of matchless pow'r confound his foes,
And prove him the Jehovah infinite.

See universal nature own her Lord,

John viii. 24. "If ye believe not that I AM, ye shall die in your sins," ver. 58. "Before Abraham was, I AM." Compare this with Isaiah xli 4. "I the Lord the first, and with the last, I AM he," Isaiah xliii. 11. "I, even I am the Lord, and besides me there is no Saviour," xliv. 6. "Thus saith the Lord, the king of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God." "I and my Father are one," John x. It is impossible for the word of God to be more clear and explicit upon this subject than it is; how dark and benighted must that understanding be, that cannot see this grand truth ? how rebellious must that heart be, that does see, but will not receive it, and which proudly and obstinately dares to reject and disbelieve the testimony of a triune God? Vain man would be wise, though he is born like a wild ass' colt: Job But that wisdom is foolishness to an extreme, that would exalt itself above the wisdom of God; it is the highest point of wisdom, and the noblest triumph of reason, to bow with acquiescence, humble faith, and holy delight to divine revelation, and thereby to honor the infinite wisdom and veracity of Jehovah.

Wait with obsequious duty his command,
And swift obedience to his mandate pay.
The blushing water owns the present God,
And reddens into wine! th' obedient bread,
A scanty pittance, scarce enough to feed
A little band of hungry appetites,

See it enlarge, encrease and multiply,

And dine its thousands with sufficient food,
While more remains than first the table spread.
Th' astonish'd thousands, wond'ring stand and shout
Jesus the prophet and the Christ of God!

What crouds are these that compass him around, And press to touch his seamless garment's hem! Children of misery, a ghastly train,

Num'rous as fallen leaves that strew the ground
Before the autumnal breeze; emaciate, pale
With pining sickness some, and sore disease,
Some on the rack of agonizing pain
From stone, and sharp acute disorder bred;
Some scorch'd with burning fevers, in whose veins
Death flows triumphant in the purple flood,
And wild delirim revels in the brain.
Demoniac some, whose wretched carcases
Are made the dwelling of infernal fiends,
Toss'd at their pleasure in the briny wave,
Or raging fire, lost to humanity,

By strange distraction hurried to and fro;
No bands can hold them, nor no chains confine.
The mourners, who with cover'd lips exclaim
Unclean, unclean (symbolical of those

Who groan beneath the leprosy of sin).

. Forbid the joys of sweet society,
Doom'd to perpetual solitude and woe.

The blind, whose eye-balls ne'er behold the day,
Ne'er saw the light, whose balmy blessings cheer
The heart uncheer'd by any joy beside.

The lame, whose feet have never trod the earth,
Chain'd by contracted limbs to one abode.
The deaf, the dumb, sad strangers to the sweets
Of sounds and speech, condemn'd to pine away
In silence, while the circling years roll on.
These, and a thousand more sad objects come,
And throng around where'er the Saviour goes;
How eagerly they press to come in view;
How their hearts throb with anxious, strong desire
T'attract his notice, and obtain a cure!

While their united voice, and earnest cries,

Humble petitions to his ear address.

He speaks! 'tis done....the mourners cease to groan: At his Almighty fiat, pale disease,

Acute disorder, all the ghastly train,

Death's messengers, retire, they quit their prey;
Death, disappointed, shakes his darts in vain,
And Jesus triumphs, sov'reign Lord of life!
See ruddy health her cheerful blessings shed,
Glow in each cheek, and sparkle in each eye:
Late pale and languid, lepers bless the voice
That spake them clean, for when the Saviour spake,
Omnipotence put forth its mighty arm

And heal'd them all....See! like the bounding rqe,
The lame man leaps, and runs with nimble feet,
While his heart dances with extatic joy.

The stamm'ring tongue unloos'd, its silence breaks,