" when God doth mercy to the world, He is "called JEHOVAH; but, when he warreth "against the wicked, He is called Sabaoth, "LORD of Hofts."* It is, therefore, often introduced both with a view to inspire the Ifraelites with confidence in the promises of JEHOVAH, because it expreffed his power to fulfill them; and to ftrike terror into the hearts of the wicked. The awful denunciation against those who worshipped GOD irreverently and deceitfully, is this: "For I am a great King, faith JEHOVAH, "Hofts and my name fhall be

"verence amongst the nations."*

GOD of

had in reThis high

name is due to the Being who created univerfal nature, and can arm the creation to execute his will. To Him, who is the abfolute LORD of the universe, is the name due: it is his prerogative: it is his glory: it is his diftinguishing character, and exalteth his name above every name. The

First remark which offers from this fubject, is, That this name of God hath been greatly mistaken and abused. The title, which

x Mal. i. 14.

* Benfon on James v. 4.

is of fuch extenfive and high import; the title, which implieth a dominion over all the nations of men, and all ranks of being; the title, which includes in it the fovereignty of heaven as well as of all nations of the earth, and which particularly refers to the Power that formed, and to the Providence that governs, the sun, and moon, and stars, and all the heavenly bodies; this glorious name hath been understood to mean chiefly, if not only, a prefiding influence, a dominion over the military forces of particular nations. It hath been asked by a christian preacher,* «Of the "whole feries of incidents that chequer this

stage of mortal life, what more moment“ous, or more capable of arrefting God's especial regard, than that of armies arrayed “in battle, nations engaged in conflict with " each other? In fact," it hath been faid, why is the Almighty ftyled in Scripture, "with peculiar energy, the God of armies or battles, if not to intimate that He favours

* Dr. Gardiner's Sermon on " the Duties of a Soldier,” at the Confecration of the Colours of the Somerfet Light Dragoons, on the 6th of Auguft, 1794, in Taunton: page 12, 14. D

"these hofts with a peculiar care; that He "honours these battles with a special pre"fence; like that, perhaps, which is ascribed "to him in his fanctuary?"

What is this, but to judge of the Most High according to the paffions of our minds; according to the fentiments that revenge, and ambition, and the love of conqueft dictate? What is this, but, really though not intentionally, "to degrade the God of Ifrael to a "level with the heathen God of War, whose peculiar province it was to prefide over "battles?" Is not this, though far from the design of the preacher, under the notion of appealing to his providence, to dishonour before men the fupreme eternal JEHOVAH ? Is it not to give a partial view of his fovereignty, and to fink the glory of his name? Thus men are led to conceive, that in the title of "the "LORD of Hofts" there is a fanction to political schemes of hoftility and bloodshed.

Voltaire, the celebrated wit of France, has availed himself of this grofs mifapprehenfion of the name "LORD of Hofts," to point his arrows against divine revelation.

+ See Farmer" on Miracles," p. 338, note.

"All

"men," fays he," have worshipped the God, «Mars. Sabaoth among the Jews fignifies "the God of armies: but Minerva, in Homer, "calls Mars a furious, mad, infernal deity."+ The infinuation conveyed under this remark is, that the GoD of the Jews was also such a being. We reject the infinuation as at once profane and falfe. But it was not Voltaire's difpofition, especially when religion was concerned, to state things fairly, or to investigate matters with care and impartiality. Truth and candour are continually facrificed by him to gratify his inveterate enmity to revelation. In the point before us we have an instance of this. He might have known, he ought to have known, that the title which, with the most ignorant, he misreprefents and perverts, imports that " JEHOVAH is the GOD or LORD "of Hofts,' or armies, as He is the creator "and fupreme governor of all beings in heaven "and earth, and difpofeth and ruleth them

"Tous les hommes ont adoré le Dieu Mars: Sabaoth, chez lez Juifs, fignifie le Dieu des Armées: mais Minerve, chez Homere, appelle Mars un Dieu furieux, infenfé, infernal."Dictionnaire Philofophique. Guerre. P. 198.

"all in their several orders and stations; the Almighty, univerfal LORD."*

This univerfal fovereignty will, it is true, comprehend in it a controul over all bodies of men, whether united in the prosecution of the arts of peace, or drawn up in military array. It will include his providence, as "the GoD "of the armies of Ifrael," the people whom He had taken under his peculiar care and jurifdiction. It includes his power to muster the host for the battle, to enrol the strong ones of the earth as his warriors, and to gather together the kingdoms and the nations to execute his anger; as in the destruction of Babylon. And it will include, in the vast prerogatives to which it extends, his agency in

making wars to cease, in breaking the bow, "and cutting the spear asunder, and burning "the chariot in fire." But these acts are only parts and inftances of that Providence, to which the Monarch of the whole 'universe is of courfe equal; to which it will reach, while it also condefcends to watch "the fall of a

* Bp. Lowth on Ifaiah; and Farmer on Miracles, as before. 1 Sam. xxii. 45. 2 Ifaiah xiii. 4, 5.