best piece for thee.-5. In case of the loss of dear friends, a wife, or child, or husband,-rest satisfied in God's wisdom. God hath taken away these, because he would have more of your love; he breaks these crutches, that we may live more upon him by faith. God would have us learn to go without crutches.

Use 2d. If God be infinitely wise, then let us go to him for wisdom; as Solomon, 1 Kings iii. 9, 10., "Give thy servant an understanding heart;" "and the speech pleased the Lord." And there is encouragement for us:

" If any one lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth liberally, and upbraideth not," James i. 5. Wisdom is in God, tanquam in fonte,-as in the fountain; his wisdom is imparted, not impaired; his stock is not spent by giving. Go then to God: Lord, do thou light my lamp; in thy light shall I see light; give me wisdom, to know the fallacy of my heart, the subtilties of the old serpent, to walk jealously towards myself, religiously towards thee, prudently towards others; guide me by thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory!

OF GOD'S POWER.

THE next attribute is God's the earth to the bar, and is not power, Job ix. 19., "If I speak bound to give a reason of his proof strength, lo, he is strong.' In ceedings, Ps. lxxv. 5, 7., "He this chapter is a magnificent de- putteth down one, and setteth up scription of God's power: "Lo, another." He hath salvation and he is strong!" The Hebrew damnation in his power. He word for strong, signifies a con- hath the key of justice in his quering, prevailing strength. hands, to lock up whom he will "He is strong" the superlative in the fiery prison of hell; and degree is intended here, viz. "He he hath the key of mercy in his is most strong." He is called, hands, to open heaven's gates to El-shaddai, God Almighty,' whom he pleases. This is the Gen. xvii. 1. His almightiness name engraven upon his vesture, lies in this, he can do whatever is " King of kings, and Lord of feasible. Divines distinguish be- lords," Rev. xix. 16. He sits tween authority and power; God Lord paramount, and who can hath both. call him to an account? Isa. I. He hath a sovereign_right xlvi. 10., "I will do all my pleaand authority over man. He can sure.' The world is God's diodo with his creatures as he pleas- cese, and shall not he do what eth. Who shall dispute with he will in his own diocese? He God? who shall ask him a reason it was that turned king Nebuof his doings? Dan. iv. 35., chadnezzar to eat grass, and "He doeth according to his will threw the angels to hell when they in the army of heaven, and a- sinned; that broke the head of mong the inhabitants of the earth; the Babylonish empire, Isa. xiv. and none can stay his hand, or 11., "How art thou fallen from say unto him, what doest thou?" heaven, O Lucifer! Thy pomp God sits judge in the highest brought down to the grave;" court, he calls the monarchs of who sets bounds to the sea, and

is

II. As God hath authority, so he hath infinite power. What is authority without power? "He is mighty in strength," Job ix. 4. This power of God is seen,

1. In the creation. To create, requires infinite power; all the world cannot make a fly. God's power in creating is evident: 1. Because he needs no instruments to work with; it is proper to God to work without tools.-2. He needs no matter to work upon; first, he creates matter, and then works upon it.-3. He works without labour, Ps. xxxiii. 9., 'He spake and it was done.'

bridles the proud waves, Job the voice of the Son of God. O xxxviii. 11. God is the supreme the infinite power of Jehovah! monarch, all power is seated Before his sceptre, angels vail originally in him; "The powers and prostrate themselves; kings that be are ordained of God," cast their crowns at his feet. Rom. xiii. 1. Kings hold their Amos ix. 5., "He toucheth the crowns of him, Prov. viii. 15., land, and it shall melt;" Job ix. By me kings reign.” 6., "Which shaketh the earth out of her place." An earthquake makes the earth tremble upon her pillars, but God shakes it out of its place; he can remove the earth from its centre. God can do what he will, his power is as large as his will. Were men's power as large as their will, what work would they make in the world! God's power is of equal extent with his will. God can with a word unpin the wheels, and break the axle-tree of the creation. He can do more than we can think, Eph. iii. 20. He can suspend natural agents; he sealed up the lion's mouths, made the fire not to burn; he made the waters to stand up in an heap; he caused the sun to go ten degrees backward in Ahaz his dial, Isa. xxxviii 8. What can pose omnipotency? The Lord cuts off the spirit of princes, Ps. lxxvi. 12. He counter-works his enemies ; he pulls down their flags and banners of pride, infatuates their counsels, breaks their forces; and he doth it with ease, with the turning of his hand, Ps. lxxxi. 24., "with his breath," Isa. xl. 24., "with a look." That is all it needs cost God to destroy his enemies; a look, a cast of his eye, Exod. xiv. 24., "The Lord looked into the host of the Egyptians, through the pillar of fire, and troubled their host." Who shall stop him in his march? God commands, and all creatures in heaven and earth obey him. Xerxes, the Persian monarch, threw fetters into the sea, when

2. The power of God is seen in the conversion of souls. Surely a mighty power went to raise Christ from the grave, Eph. i. 20.-1. The same power goes to draw a sinner to God, as drew Christ out of the grave to heaven. Greater power is put forth in conversion, than in creation. When God made the world, he met with no opposition; as he had nothing to help him, so he had nothing to hinder him; but when he comes to convert a sinner, here he meets with opposition,-Satan opposeth him, and the heart opposeth him; a sinner is angry with converting grace.2. The world was the "Work of God's fingers," Ps. viii. 3. Conversion is the "Work of God's arm," Luke i. 5.-3. In the creation, God wrought but one miracle, he spake the word; but, in conversion, he works many miracles, the blind is made to see,the dead is raised,-the deaf hears

Use 2d. See the deplorable condition of wicked men : 1. This power of God is not for them: 2. It is against them.

its waves swelled, as if he would and bodies into hell! Ps. xc. 11., have chained up the waters; but "Who knows the power of his when God speaks, the wind and wrath?" God can with the same sea obey him; if he say but the breath that made us, dissolve us; word, the stars fight in their" His eyes are as a flame of fire; courses against Sisera: if he stamp the rocks are thrown down by with his foot, an army of angels him,”. Nah. i. 6. Solomon saith, shall presently be in battalia. "Where the word of a king is, What cannot omnipotent power there is power," Eccl. viii. 4. ; do? "The Lord is a man of much more where the word of a war," Exod. xv. 3. He hath a God is. O let us fear this mighty mighty arm. Ps. lxxxix. 13., God! The fear of God will drive "God's power is a glorious out all other base fear. power," Col. i. 11. (1.) It is an irresistible power, Rom. ix. 19., "Who hath resisted his will?" To contest with him, is as if the thorns would set themselves in battle array against the fire; or, as if an infirm child should fight with an arch-angel. If the sinner be once taken in God's iron net, there is no escaping, Isa. xliii. 13., "There is none that can deliver out of my hand." (2) God's power is an inexhaustible power; it is never spent or wasted. Men, while they exercise their strength, weaken it; but God hath an everlasting spring of strength in him, Isa. xxvi. 4. Though he spends his arrows upon his enemies, Deut. xxxii. 23., yet he doth not spend his strength. Isa. xl. 28., He fainteth not, neither is weary.”

OBJ. Can God do all things? he cannot deny himself.

Ans. Though God can do all things, he cannot do that which stains the glory of his Godhead: he cannot sin; he cannot do that which implies a contradiction. To be a God of truth, and yet deny himself, is a contradiction. Use 1st. If God be so infinite in power, fear this great God. We are apt to fear such as are in power: Jer. v. 22., "Fear ye not me?' saith the Lord: Will ye not tremble at my presence?"" He hath power to cast our souls

1. This power of God, is not for them: they have no union with God, therefore have no warrant to lay claim to his power. His power is no relief to them. He hath power to forgive sins, but he will not put forth his power towards an impenitent sinner. God's power is an eagle's wing to carry the saints to heaven; but what privilege is that to the wicked; though a man will carry his child in his arms over a dangerous water, yet he will not carry an enemy in his arms. God's power is not engaged to help those that fight against him. Let miseries come upon the wicked, they have none to help them; they are like a ship in a storm, without a pilot, driven upon the rocks.

2. This power of God is against the wicked. God's power will not be the sinner's shield to defend him, but a sword to wound him. God's power will bind the sinner in chains. God's power serves to revenge the wrong done to his mercy. God will be Almighty to damn the sinner. Now, in what condition is every unbeliever? God's power is engaged against him, and "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," Heb. x. 31.

Use 3d. It reproves such as do not believe this power of God. We say, we do not doubt of God's power, but his will. But indeed it is God's power that we question. "Is there any thing too hard for me?" Jer. xxxii. 27. ; yet we stagger through unbelief, as if the Use 4th. If God be infinite in arm of God's power were shrunk, power, then let us take heed of and he could not help in des- hardening our hearts against God: perate cases. Take away a king's Job ix. 4., "Who hath hardened power, and we unking him; take himself against him, and prosperaway the Lord's power, and we ed?" Job sends a challenge to ungod him; yet how guilty of all creatures in heaven and earth. this are we! Did not Israel Who is he did ever take up the question God's power? "Can buckler against God, and came off God furnish a table in the wil-conqueror? For a person to go derness?" Ps. lxxviii. 19. They on daringly in any sin, is to harthought the wilderness was a fitter den his heart against God, and, place for making of graves, than as it were, to raise a war against spreading of a table. Did not heaven; and let him remember Martha doubt of Christ's power? God is El-shaddai,-almighty; he John x. 39., "He hath been will be too hard for them that opdead four days." If Christ had pose him, Job xl. 9., "Hast thou been there while Lazarus was an arm like God?" Such as will sick, or when he had been newly not bow to his golden sceptre, dead, Martha did not question but shall be broken with his iron rod. Christ could have raised him; but Julian hardened his heart against he had lain in the grave four days, God, he opposed him to his face; and now she seemed to question but what got he at last? did he his power. Christ had as much prosper? Being wounded in ado to raise her faith, as to raise battle, he threw up his blood into her dead brother. And Moses, the air, and said to Christ, vicisti though an holy man, yet limits Galilæe,-"O Galilean, thou hast God's power through unbelief, overcome? I acknowledge thy Numb. xi. 21., "The people a- power, whose name and truth I mong whom I am, are six hun- have opposed." Will folly condred thousand footmen; and thou tend with wisdom? weakness hast said, I will give them flesh with power?--finite with infinite? that they may eat a whole month: O take heed of hardening your shall the flocks and the herds be heart against God! He can send slain for them to suffice them? or legions of angels to avenge his shall all the fish of the sea be ga- quarrel. It is better to meet God thered for them to suffice them?" with tears in your eyes, than weaAnd the Lord said unto Moses, pons in your hand. You may Is the Lord's hand waxed overcome God sooner by repentshort?" This is a great affront ance, than by resistance. to God, to go to deny his power. Use 5th. Get an interest in That men doubt of God's power, God, and then this glorious power appears, 1. By their taking indi-is engaged for you. God gives it rect courses. Would they defraud under his hand, that he will put in their dealings, use false weights, forth the whole power of his God

if they believed the power or God, that he could provide for them? 2. By their depending more upon second causes than upon God, 2 Chron. xvi. 12., "In his disease, he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.

head for the good of his people: perfect in weakness: most gladly

1 Chron. xvii. 24., "The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel." This almightiness of God's power is a wonderful support and comfort to every believer. It was Samson's riddle, Judges xiv. 14., "Out of the strong came forth sweetness:' so out of the attribute of God's power,-out of this strong comes forth sweetness. It is comfort in several cases.

therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.' I fear I shall not hold out. Christian, dost thou believe the power of God? Hath not God preserved thy grace thus far? Mayest thou not set up thy Ebenezer? God hath kept thy grace hitherto as a spark in the main ocean; and is not he able still to keep thy grace? 1 Pet. i. 5., "Who are kept by 1. In case of strong corruption. the power of God," &c. God's My sins, saith a child of God, mercy pardons us, but his power are potent; I have no power preserves us. He who by his against this army that comes against me; I pray, and humble my soul by fasting, but my sins return upon me. Ay, but dost thou believe the power of God? The strong God can conquer thy strong corruption; though sin be too hard for thee, yet not for him; he can soften hard hearts, and quicken the dead. "Is any thing too hard for the Lord ?" Gen. xviii. 14. Set God's power on work, by faith and prayer. Say, Lord! it is not for thy honour that the devil should have so strong a party within me ; O break the head of this leviathan! Abba, Father, all things are pos-ed by beasts and fishes, or consible to thee !'

2. In case of strong temptation. Satan is called the strong man,' O but remember the power of God: Christ is called The lion of the tribe of Judah;' he hath broken the serpent's head upon the cross. Satan is a chained enemy, and a conquered enemy. Michael is stronger than the dragon.

power keeps the stars that they do not fall out of their orbs, keeps our grace that it doth not fail or annihilate.

4. Comfort in case of the deficiency in thy estate. God can multiply the oil in the cruse; miraculously he can raise up supplies; God, who provides for the birds of the air, cannot he provide for his children? He that clothes the lilies, cannot he clothe his lambs?

5. Comfort in regard of the resurrection. This seems difficult to believe, that the bodies of men when eaten up by worms, devour

sumed to ashes, should be raised the same numerical bodies; but if we believe the power of God, it is no great wonder. Which is hardest, to create, or raise the dead? he that can make a body of nothing, can restore it to its parts when mingled and confounded with other substances, Mat. xix. 26.," With God all things 3. Comfort in case of weak- are possible." If we believe the ness of grace, and fear of falling first article of the creed that God away. I pray, but I cannot send is almighty, we may quickly beout strong cries; I believe, but lieve the other article, the resurthe hand of my faith doth rection of the body. God can shake and tremble. Cannot God raise the dead because of his strengthen weak grace? 2 Cor. power, and he cannot but raise xii. 9., " My strength is made them because of his truth.