we behold the glory of his grace, and are filled with peace, and rejoice and praise God, then the "hailstones and coals of fire" also pass away. For I consider that the verb 'pass away' is thus to be referred to the clouds, hail, and coals of fire.

This "hail" allegorically signifies the bitter and terrible words of the law; or, as he says in another place, the chidings and rebukes of the people.' And these 'fiery coals,' or "coals of fire," we understand to be the same as those whom he before said were kindled by the fire: namely, sinners themselves, who are consumed and burnt up in straits and the fire of God's wrath. Or, it may signify the same words of the law by which that fire of repentance is kindled in the conscience. And this latter exposition I the rather would adopt, because all those things pass away as soon as the knowledge of the sweet mercy of God is revealed. For then, those clouds which before were odious, become sweet and pleasing, and those preachers of the law which before we abhorred, we love, and now approve of their hard and cutting words. Just as a child hates his preceptor and all his discipline until he has attained unto his inheritance: for then he understands how useful that severity of his preceptor was. This the Apostle has beautifully set forth to us in his Epistle to the Galatians, which is very useful in understanding the present passage.

Ver. 13.-The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice, hail-stones and coals of fire.

David here seems to adduce this verse out of that part of the history, Exodus xix. where it is written, that the Lord answered Moses when he spoke, and then that voices were heard, and the Lord delivered the Ten Commandments. The allegory of which is, that the law is fulfilled only by the voice of the Lord speaking. For what is it for Moses to speak and the Lord to answer, but, that the law was given by Moses, but that grace and truth, which alone answer to the law and fulfil it, came by Jesus Christ. As John saith, i. 17,

"The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." "The Lord (therefore) thundered from heaven:" that is, by the company of the apostles, he preached the word of grace. And he gave out his voice;" which is the same thing in repetition. For the voice of the Lord is the voice of power: as we have it, Psalm xxix. and lxviii. "The voice of the Lord is a voice of power."

And David beautifully dwells upon this figure, Psalm cxlvii. 16, 17, 18, " He giveth snow like wool, he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels, who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his word and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow and the waters flow." By all which things David means the ministry of preaching: which is terrible by the first preaching of the law, but sweet by the next preaching of grace. And in this sense, we are to understand the hail and the coals of fire in a different way from that in which we received the same expressions in the former verse. For there we said that the hard and cutting words of the law were signified: but here the sweet and cooling words must be understood as signified. Because by some experience we may also assert, that the word of grace is also hard and cutting, that is, to flesh and blood. For man knows not the value of it like the Jews, John vi.; for to them the word of Christ, which was the word of life, was "hard," and, as it were, the word of death. And Paul confesses that he is a sweet savour to Christ, both in them that are saved and in them that perish: that to the one he is the savour of life unto life, and of the other of death unto death. And yet this appears to be violent and forced.

The order of the words will then be, "The Lord gave his voice; which was hail-stones and coals of fire: that is, sharp and burning. "For our God is a consuming fire:" nay, as Jeremiah xxiii. 29 saith, "Is not word like as a fire? saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?'

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And David expresses himself thus concerning the hail-stones and coals of fire, that we may not attribute

the power and effects of the law to the apostles and preachers of it, but to God alone; who alone gives the clouds and coals of fire, and causes them to pass away: for it is the Lord himself that gives this voice from heaven.

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It is manifest, therefore, that the translators did not understand these verses, when they rendered it, Dedit vocem suam, grando et car bones ignis. Which ought to have been rendered vocem suam, grandinem et carbones ignis, in the accusative governed by the verb dedit. But however, it matters not much whether you separate undervocem from grandinem or not: provided that stand both as signifying the word of preaching: which, as it is various, and serving for various feelings and ends, so it is represented by those numerous effects and states of the tempest; such as, stars, rains, hail, clouds, snow, lightning, thunder, and every other that takes place in the heavens, whether reviving or mortifying; the former is the effect of the word of life, the latter is the word of the law. For the heavens are the apostles; as we shall see in the following Psalm.

And these verses vary a little also from the song as recorded 2 Sam. xxii.: but all this variety and difference I leave to the studious, and those who have time to attend to it.

Ver. 14.-Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them: and he multiplied lightnings and discomfited them.

It is evident, that the prophet is here speaking altogether allegorically concerning the "arrows," as nothing of this is read in the history concerning the transaction in Sinai and therefore, he must call the lightnings arrows: concerning which, it is said Exod. xix. "and there were lightnings." And thus David saith, Psalm lxxvii. "The skies sent out a sound, thine arrows also went abroad." Hence those words by which the conas we have it, science is pierced are called "arrows: Psalm xxxviii. 2, "For thine arrows stick fast in me.' And Job vi. 4, “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit:

the terrors of the Lord do set themselves in array against me." And we read much of these arrows every where in the scriptures.

These lightnings, thunderings, and arrows, therefore, are the same words of the law, which terrify, distress, and pierce the heart of the sinner. For the prophet is still going on to speak of, and inculcate, the office of the law. And hence, this verse may serve as an argument and proof that the preceding verses are to be understood as having reference to the office of the law, more than to the word of grace: that the whole may agree together. For we have said, that the word of the law is multiplex and various in its work which it works in the heart of a sinner, by alarming, terrifying, threatening, convincing, and burning him, &c. And therefore it was, that it was represented on Mount Sinai by the various signs and appearances of a tempest, as it is also in this and in many other places: all which things are better understood by experience than they can possibly be set forth by word. And hence, as the prophet before us could not possibly do it in his own words, he had recourse to the history itself, that he might shew it in an allegorical way, when he could not fully explain it himself.

And so I also, if I cannot attain to any thing else, am contented with saying, that by all that tempest of Mount Sinai, and all the words in which it is described, is sig nified and set forth all that tumult which the Word of God causes in the heart of a sinner, in order that he may be changed into a hatred of himself, and the world, and be savingly killed. For all these things are the wars of the Lord of hosts, who fights from heaven against them: as it is written, Judges v. in the words of Deborah.

So that the sum, scope, and meaning of the whole Psalm lies in this,-that Christ having suffered, being risen, and being preached by the Holy Ghost, and being believed in and worshipped, humbles the pride of the world. This is a summary exposition of the meaning of this Psalm, as any one may see in the face of it, if he be

but the least observant.

And he says, "he scattered them :" that is, he sun

dered and divided them. For he came not to send peace on earth, but a sword; by which a man should not only be divided from those of his own household, but from himself also, by hating his life in this world.— And he not only sent these lightnings, but multiplied them: so that by the multitude of the preachers he involved the whole world in the tumult of the cross: and hence, he says, Psalm lxviii. 11, "The Lord gave the Word, great was the company of those that published it." will send (say she) fishers, and I will fish them." Thus there is a saving, scattering,' and discomfiting,' by which men are led to true peace and unity. Some by lightnings, understand the miracles by which the Lord confirmed the word of his apostles. But all this I leave to each one's own mind: it is not a bad acceptation.

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Ver. 15.--Then the fountains of the waters were seen and the foundations of the world were discovered: at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the inspiration of the breath of thine

anger.

This can by no means have reference to the history before mentioned, in which nothing is said concerning the fountains of the waters, or the foundations of the world unless it be supposed to allude to that of Exod. xv. 27, "And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees : and they encamped there by the waters." By which were figured forth the twelve apostles, and the seventy disciples of Christ, as every one allows. So that here the prophet is touching upon the history of the whole passage of the children of Israel out of Egypt, and in the liberty of his spirit opening up the mysteries of the New Testament. And the world has in truth known by the ministry of the Word that the apostles were "fountains of waters," and princes of the world as it was promised to Abraham and his seed. And so we have it, Psalm xlv. 16, "Instead of thy fathers thou shalt have children, whom thou mayest make princes in all lands." And there is the same also, Psalm lxviii. 26,