"The LORD of HOSTS is his name." What is the meaning of this term? What is the

design of defcribing the ALMIGHTY under this title?-It often occurs in the Old Teftament, especially in the Prophets and the Pfalms: because these are compofitions which more particularly relate to the Deity: the former exhibit reprefentations and predictions of his defigns towards the Ifraelites, and the nations of the earth; and the latter breathe the fentiments of adoration and piety.

The English word Hoft correfponds to three different words in the Hebrew. Two* of which appear to fignify camps, or bodies of men equipped for the field and disposed in military order. The third word, which is used in the text, viz. Sabaoth, and is the only term of the three connected with the name, of GOD, and used as expreffive of his character, feldom fignifieth military bodies of men, and is of wide and extensive import. It cometh from a word which means, to affemble in orderly ranks and fo far from principally denoting or being confined to armed forces, or a multitude of men deftined for war, it

חיל and מחגים * צבאות +

includes and chiefly fignifieth the heavenly bodies; the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.

This is the application of it, when it is faid in Genefis,* "the heavens and the earth "were finished, and all the hoft of them:" when the little horn in the vision of Daniel is faid to "wax great towards the host of heaven:" when the Ifraelites are warned, "left, lifting up their eyes to heaven, and seeing the Sun, and the Moon, and the Stars, " and all the Hoft of heaven, they should be

driven to worship them :"" when, in the Prophets, divine judgments are threatened against those who "worship the Host of "heaven:" when GoD is faid to have " made "all the Hoft of heaven by the word of his "mouth," and to. bring them out by "number." In all these places, the word particularly and exprefsly refers to the bodies of light, which shine above us, adorning the heavens, moving according to order, and preferving the revolutions which the divine will hath affigned them.

The word tranflated Hoft in our text doth, indeed, in one place, defcribe all the tribes of Ifrael led out of Egypt, and, in another place, the armies of that people. But this is an unusual application of it. When it is connected with the great name JEHOVAH, there are frequently, though not always, circumstances which direct us to confider it as descriptive of his dominion not only over fome particular bodies of men, but through all the space of the heavens, and over those bodies which move above us, attracting our wonder by their number and regularity, and our eyes by their brightness and splendour.

The title," the LORD of Hofts," evidently denotes and expreffes the universal, controuling influence of JEHOVAH, his authority over mankind of all ranks and conditions; when He threatens, by the prophet Ifaiah, vengeance on his enemies, on rebellious princes, or the proud and lofty, confirming his denunciations with this folemn proclamation of his name and character: "Thus faith the LORD of "Hofts, the mighty one of Ifrael." In the prayer of Hezekiah, the title is applied to Him, Exod. xii. 41. T Pf. cviii. 11. • Ch. i. 24;

ii. 12.

in the contemplation of Him as "God alone "of all the kingdoms of the earth," and as "the Being who made the heavens and the "earth." When JEHOVAH addreffeth himfelf to the Ifraelites under this ftyle, as their "Redeemer, the LORD of Hofts," He expatiates on the name, as defcriptive of his eternal fupremacy: "I am the Firft, and I am the "Laft, and befides me there is no God." No paffage, in this view, is more pointed than that of our text. It occurs in meditations on GOD, as having "made the heavens and the earth

c

by his great power, and stretched-out arm, "to whom nothing was too hard; as

fhewing loving-kindness unto thousands, "and recompenfing the iniquities of the "fathers into the bofom of the children after

tr

them; as great in counsel, and mighty in

work; as having fet figns and wonders in "the land of Egypt, in Ifrael, and amongst "other men, and having made him a name.” It is in the contemplation of GOD, under these elevated views, that the Prophet faith, "the mighty GoD, the LORD of Hofts is "his name:" intimating, rather declaring,

that to Him belongeth this title as Sovereign of all beings; as poffeffing an universal dominion. In the same light is the title placed in the preceding chapter, v. 35. In a fublime description of GOD's controul and influence over the revolutions of time, and the commotions of the fea, it is declared, "Thus "faith the LORD, which giveth the Sun for a "light by day, and the ordinances of the Moon "and Stars for a light by night: which "divideth the sea, when the waves thereof "roar; the LORD of Hofts is his name." To refer to one place more, where this title occurs in a connection which explains its import, Jeremiah, comparing the GOD, the Almighty JEHOVAH, of the Jews, to the idols of the Heathens, which he describes as vanity, the "work of errors," he adds, "the portion of Jacob is not like them; for He is the former "of all things, and Ifrael is the rod of his in"heritance: the LORD of HOSTS is his name.' A name, which thus befpeaketh dignity and magnificence.

It alfo carrieth with it awe and terror, and "it is an obfervation of the Hebrews, that

* Cho li. 19.