A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 10
Of GOD's Power.
THE next Attribute is God's Power, Iob 9.19. If I speak of strength, lo he is strong. In this Chapter is a magnificent Description of God's Power. So he is strong] The Hebrew word for strong, ammytz, signifies a conquering, prevailing strength. He is strong; the Superlative Degree is intended here, viz. He is most strong. He is call'd Elshaddai, God Almighty, Gen. 17.1. His Almightiness lies in this, he can do whatever is feasible. Divines distinguish between foreign and foreign, Authority and Power. God hath both.
1. He hath a Soveraign Right and Authority over Man. He may do with his Creature as he please. Who shall Dispute with God? who shall ask him a Reason of his doings? Dan. 4.35. He doth according to his Will in the Army of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, and none can stay his Hand, or say unto him, what dost thou? God sits Judge in the highest Court, he calls the Monarchs of the Earth to the Barr, and is not bound to give a reason of his proceedings; Psal. 75.5, 7. He putteth down one, and raiseth up another. He hath Salvation and Damnation in his power. He hath the Key of Justice in his hand, to lock up whom he will in the fiery Prison of Hell; and he hath the Key of Mercy in his hand, to open Heaven's Gate to whom he please. This is the Name engraven upon his Vesture, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Rev. 19.16. he sits Lord paramount, and who can call him to account? Isa. 46.10. I will do all my pleasure. The World is God's Diocess, and shall not he do what he will in his own Diocess? He it was that turned King Nebuchadnezzar to grass, and threw the Angels to Hell when they sinned, that broke the head of the Babylonish Empire, Isa. 14.12. How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer! thy pomp is brought down to the grave: Who sets bounds to the Sea, and bridles the proud Waves, Job 38.11. God is the Supream Monarch, all Power is seated originally in him; and the powers that be are of God, Rom. 13.1. Kings hold their Crowns from him, Prov. 8.15. By me Kings reign.
2. As God hath Authority, so he hath Infinite Power. What is Authority without Power? He is mighty in strength, Job 9.4. This Power of God is seen,
1. In the Creation. To Create requires an 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; 'tis 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, Psal. 33.9. He spake and it was done.
2. The Power of God is seen in the Conversion of Souls. Surely a mighty Power went to raise Christ from the Grave, foreign, Eph. 1.20. 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. 1. 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, Psal. 8.3. Conversion is the work of God's Arm, Luke 1.5. 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 the Voice of the Son of God. O the infinite Power of Jehovah! Before his Scepter Angels vail, and prostrate themselves, Kings cast their Crowns at his Feet, Amos 9.5. He toucheth the Mountains and they melt. Job 9.6. He removes 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 Center. 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 un-pin the wheels, and break the Axle-tree of the Creation. He can do foreign, more then we can think, Eph. 3.20. He can suspend natural Agents: he sealed up the Lions mouth, made the Fire not burn; he made the waters stand upon an heap, he caused the Sun to go ten Degrees backward in Ahaz his Dial, Isa. 38.8. What can pose Omnipotency? The Lord cuts off the Spirit of Princes, Psal. 76.12. 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, Psal. 81.14. with his breath, Isa. 40.24. with a look. That is all it needs cost God to destroy his Enemies, a look, a cast of his eye, Exod. 14.24. The Lord looked into the hoast of the Egyptians, through the pillar of fire, and troubled their hoast. 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 its Waves swelled, as if he would have chained up the Waters: but when God speaks, the Wind and Sea obey him; if he say but the word, the Stars fight in their course against Sisera, if he stamp with his Foot, an Army of Angels shall presently be in a Battalia. What cannot Omnipotent Power do? The Lord is a Man of War, Exod. 15.3. He hath a mighty Arm, Psal. 89.13. God's Power is a glorious power, Col. 1.11. 1. It is an irresistible power, Rom. 9.19. Who hath resisted his will. To contest with him, is as if the Thorns should set themselves in Battel aray 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. 43.13. 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. 26.4. though he spends his Arrows upon his Enemies, Deut. 32.23. yet he doth not spend his strength, Isa. 40.28. He fainteth not, neither is weary.
Object. Can God do all things, he cannot deny himself?
Answ. 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 1. If God be so infinite in Power, Fear this great God. We are apt to fear such as are in power; Ier. 5.22. Fear ye not me, saith the Lord? will ye not tremble at my presence? He hath power to cast our Souls and Bodies into Hell; Psal. 90.11. Who knows the power of his wrath? God can with the same Breath that made us, dissolve us; his Eyes are as a flame of fire; the Rocks are thrown down by him, Nah. 1.6. Solomon saith, Where the word of a King is, there is power, Eccles 8.4. much more where the word of a God is. O let us fear this mighty God! The fear of God would drive out all other base Fear.
Use 2. See the deplorable Condition of wicked Men: 1. This Power of God is not for them; 2. It is against them.
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 Eagles wing to carry the Saints to Heaven. But what Priviledge 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 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 a 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, Hebr. 10.31.
Use 3. It reproves such as do not believe this Power of God. We say we do not doubt of God's Power, but his Will *Not the posse, but velle.. But indeed it is God's Power that we question. Is any thing too hard for God? Jer. 32.27. yet we stagger through Unbelief, as if the Arm of God's Power were shrunk, and he could not help in desperate Cases. Take away a King's Power and we un-king him; take away the Lord's Power and we un-God him: yet how guilty of this are we. Did not Israel question God's Power? Can he prepare a Table in the Wilderness? Psal. 78.19. they thought the Wilderness was a fitter place for making of Graves, then spreading of a Table. Did not Martha doubt of Christ's Power? Iohn 11.39. He hath been dead four days. If Christ had been there while Lazarus was sick, or when he had been newly dead, Martha did not question but Christ could have raised him, but he had laid in the Grave four days, and now she seemed to question his Power. Christ had as much ado to raise her Faith, as to raise her dead Brother. And Moses, though an holy Man, yet limits God's Power through Unbelief, Numb. 11.21. The People amongst whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen, and thou hast said I will give them flesh for a whole month; shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? or shall all the Fish of the Sea be gathered for them to suffice them? And the Lord said unto Moses, is the Lord's hand waxed short? This is a great Affront to God, to go to deny his Power. That Men doubt of God's Power, appears 1. By their taking indirect Courses. Would they defraud in their Dealings, use false Weights, if they believed the Power of God; that he could provide for them? 2. By their depending more upon second Causes then upon God, 2 Chron. 16.12. In his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitian.
Use 4. If God be infinite in Power, then let us take heed of hardning our hearts against God, Iob 9.4. Who hath hardned himself against him and prospered? Iob sends a Challenge to all Creatures in Heaven and Earth, Who is he did ever take up the Bucklers against God, and came of Conquerour? For a Person to go on daringly in any sin, is to harden his heart against God, and as it were to raise a War against Heaven; and let him remember, God is Elshaddai, Almighty; he will be too hard for them that oppose him, Iob 40.9. Hast thou an arm like God? Such as will not bow to his golden Scepter, shall be broken with his iron Rod. Iulian hardned his heart against God, he opposed him to his Face; but what got he at last? did he prosper? Being wounded in Battel, he threw up his Blood into the Air, and said to Christ, Vicisti Galilaee, O Galilean, thou hast overcome; I acknowledge thy Power, whose Name and Truth I have opposed. Will Folly contend with Wisdom? Weakness with Power? Finite with Infinite? O take heed of hardning your heart against God! he can send Legions of Angels to avenge his Quarrel. 'Tis better to meet God with Tears in your Eyes, then Weapons in your Hand. You may overcome God sooner by Repentance then by Resistance.
Use 5. Get an Interest in God, and then this glorious Power is engaged for you. God gives it under his hand, that he will put forth the whole Power of his God-head for the good of his People, 1 Chron. 17.24. The Lord of hoasts 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 Sampson's Riddle, Iudg. 14.14. Out of the strong came forth sweetness: So out of the Attribute of God's Power, out of this strong comes forth sweetness. 'Tis Comfort in several Cases:
1. In case of strong Corruption: My sins (saith a Child of God) are potent. I have no power against this Army that comes against me. I pray and humble my Soul by Fasting, but my sins return upon me. I, 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, quicken the dead. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Gen. 18.14. 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 possible to thee.
2. In case of strong Temptation: Satan is call'd foreign, The strong Man; O but remember the Power of God, Christ is call'd, The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah; he hath broken the Serpent's head upon the Cross. Satan is a chained Enemy, and a conquered Enemy: Michael is stronger then the Dragon.
3. Comfort in case of Weakness of Grace, and Fear of falling Away: I pray, but I cannot send out strong Cries; I believe, but the hand of my Faith doth shake and tremble: Cannot God strengthen weak Grace? 2 Cor. 12.9. My strength is made perfect in weakness: Most gladly 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? Maist not thou set up thy Eben-ezer? 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. 1.5. We are kept by the power of God, &c. God's Mercy pardons us, but his Power preserves us. He who by his Power keeps the Stars that they do not fall out of their Orb, 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 Cruise; miraculously he can raise up Supplies. God that provides for the Birds of the Air, cannot he provide for his Children? He that cloaths the Lilies, cannot he cloath 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'd by Beasts and Fishes, or consum'd to Ashes, should be rais'd 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, Matth. 19.26. With God all things are possible. If we believe the first Article of the Creed, That God is Almighty; we may quickly believe the other Article, The Resurrection of the Body. God can raise the Dead because of his Power, and he cannot but raise them because of his Truth.
6. It is Comfort in reference to the Church of God: He can save and deliver it when it is brought low. The Enemies have power in their hand, but the remainder of Wrath God will restrain, Psal. 76.10. God can either confine the Enemies Power, or confound it: If God be for us, who can be against us? God can create Ierusalem a praise, Isa. 65.18. The Church in Ezekiel was compar'd to dry Bones, but God made breath to enter into them, and they lived, Ezek. 37.10. The Ship of the Church may be toss'd, because Sin is in it, but it shall not be overwhelm'd, because Christ is in it, Psal. 46.5. Deus in medio. All the Churches Pangs shall help forward her Deliverance.