Some of these Globes our Eyes can reach, and Art can measure in an imperfect Manner and what more and greater are beyond our Sight, we may imagine, but can never know in these mortal Bodies.-But whatever this Space be which we call Firmament, or whatever Worlds like this Earth of ou be contained in it Moses has let us know from GOD, that the LORD himself and alone made it, on the second Day, by the Word of his Power as he did the Light before it, and the Seas and dry Land after it For so we read, Gen. I am to show that the Firmament is GOD'S, his Work his Creation, his Creature for he made it it did not expand it self GOD stretched it out, and holds it in its wondrous Being with all the mighty Worlds within the vast Circumference. The Praises we should render him on this Account. Consider the Firmament as the Work of GOD: 2. Give me therefore your patient and raised Attention while I, 1. You see, my dear Brethren and Children, whither I am about to lead you! Into what immense Spaces and Circles whither the Eagles Wing or Eye can never reach!- But how shall a feeble Mind, in a Body broken withĪge, bear you away into the Heights above? And down into the Depths below? thro' Systems ten thousand Million Times wider than the Earth, and broader than the Sea! that I may not therefore, lose my self and you in this unsearchable and impassable Tract of Aether, wherein our Sun and Planets, Earth and Moon roll Day and Night, Summer and Winter and thro' which the fix'd Stars twinkle and close our Sight I will keep to the sure WORD OF GOD, the BIBLE in my Hand, and from that form my Discourse of the DIVINE POWER in the FIRMAMENT of Heaven, and of the PRAISES due from us to the ALMIGHTY in the Contemplation hereof. Praise him for his mighty Acts, praise him according to his excellent Greatness praise him on the high sounding Cymbals. And how could a Book of Psalms for Man on Earth end more properly and comprehensively? Let the Fir∣ment ring and resound with Praises to our GOD and KING! This Universe is his, which our Eyes look thro Sing ye Praises with Understanding: The Firmament in made for Motion, Sight and Sound, Life and Breathing: " Let every Thing that has Breath praise GOD in it and for it as is said after my Text. We should be daily praising GOD in our Houses, with our Families and in our Closets but Praises to GOD must yet be more solemn, public and reverend in the Assemblies of Sion, in theĪnd because it is in and by the FIRMAMENT which GOD has spread over and around us, that we behold his eternal Power in his Works and read it in his Word, and live, move and have our Being in GOD and because we could neither see or hear any Thing of GOD without this Firmament surrounding us nor could Day and Night, Heat and Cold, Summer or Winter, Seed-Time and Harvest be known to us without it nor the LORD GOD in his Judgments of Blasting and Mildew, Famine and Pestilences, Lightning and Thunder, Earthquake and Inun∣dation therefore we are well directed and required in my Text more especially to praise him for this, without which there could be neither Speech, Voice nor Hearing: "Praise Him in the Firmament of his Power. The Reason of my bringing you these Words this Morning is, because we have again finished the reading the Book of Psalms to you in our Lord's-Day Morning Exercise: And another Reason is, because the Providence of GOD order us this Afternoon to read to you the Order of the GOVERN∣MENT for a Day of PRAISE TO GOD, our yearly Thanks∣giving-Day.-O might our Days and Years and Life 〈◊〉 and Eternity go on in Acts of Adoration, Thanksgivings and Praises in the highest. The Call to praise GOD is here loud and trebled as Isaiah and afterwards John the beloved Disciple, saw and heard the Seraphims cry before the Throne three Times,- Holy, holy, holy. SO the Book of Psalms ends so the last of the great Hallelujah * begins.
Praise ye the LORD! Praise GOD in his Sanctuary, PRAISE HIM IN THE FIRMAMENT OF HIS POWER.
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