their being order and continuance Gen. 18.14 Is there any thing too hard for thâ— Lâ—rd Numb 23.19 God is not as mâ—n that he should lie neither the Son of Man that he should Repent hath he said and shall he not do it Mat. 19.26 With God all things are possible But what need of proof It is a truth written as with Rayes of the Sun confirm'd at least 70 times in the Scriptures of God as some have taken pains to reckon them Add we may 1. The Confession and practice of the Saints of God in all Ages 2 Chron. 20.12 O our God wilt thou not judge them 2 Chron. 25.9 God hath power to help and to cast down Flying from their Enemies both inward and outward to rest upon his Rock of Power Rom. 7.25 I thank God through Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.57 O Death where is thy Sting Thanks be to God through Christ 2. The works of Christ Curing the Diseased Mark 5.26,27 Cleansing the Temple Math. 21.12,13 Which Jerom Attributes to his Omnipotency that he so mean should attempt a matter so considerable against so many proud insolent persons arm'd with Authority and at such a time and extolls it above raising of Lazarus from the Dead Restoring the Blind to sight and the Lame to their Limbs This was his Divine Work Not to omit the mentioning of his Changing Water into Wine John 27. Thus as the greatness of the Sun is measured by a small Shadow on the Earth so many times there needs but few words to illustrate a great Vertue The Reasons are many I shall chuse out and insist upon two only 1. The Unitie of Nature common to all the Persons John 17.22 As we are one Vnum per Vnitatem i. e. by the absolute simplicitie of Nature Phil. 2.6 Who Reckoned himself equal with God in that incomprehensible abundance of Perfection whereof the supream Adorable Nature is full as Life Goodness Immensity Eternity Holiness and all other Properties which it hath in an infallible manner Now from the purity and Perfection of that Infinite Being we may thus argue for Omnipotency viz. That which hath Being and is most distant from Passive Power being Ens Simplissimum Actus purissimus a most Simple Being and a most pure Act must partake Infinitely of Active Power which is Omnipotency Again In whom is found the Perfection of all things in him is also found the Perfection of Power But in Christ is found the Perfection of all things Eminently as is already proved therefore in him is the Perfection of Power which is Omnipotency to which nothing can be added 2. The Equality of Attributes as is his Knowledge so is his Will and Power Psal 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven and Earth Now Knowledg and Power are according to the Condition of Nature Men know and can do something Angels know and can do more but God most of all his Knowledg is Infinite and so must his Power needs be The Second Doctrine from hence now comes to hand viz. That this is a Principal Ground of Faith See Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is Impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Gen. 17. When God would encourage Abraham he maketh himself known by the glorious Attribute of his Almighty Power I am God Alsufficient Math. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me Clean. There is no such proper Pillar to uphold a falling Spirit as this of the power of God No Shade like to this toward off the strokes of Evil. One Shine of this Attribute in its full Lustre of Glory is able to dispell in a moment all the nights of Fear Doubts Temptations which may at any time overspread the Heaven of the Soul it causeth them utterly to vanish Here 's the Adamantine Bulwark against all Adversary Power The Devil is Mighty but not Almighty as my God and Saviour is was that comforted Luther that Incarnate Seraphin and Champion of Christ How it is so will further appear if we consider 1. The Difficulty of things offer'd both for matter and manner As that all things should be ours again after they were lost that the Divine and Humane Nature should be united that a Virgin should Conceive and Bear a Son what great and admirable things are these Here are matters which the cleerest Understandings of Men and Angels entertain with Amazement things in a Sphere above Nature beyond all Humane Disquisition The deep things of God the Divine Omnipotency can only maintain Faith in the sense of their possibility 2. His Propriety in and over all He made all gave them a Being according to the Idea and Platform presented to the Divine Understanding and he hath absolute Right to dispose of all Rom. 9.18 To do with his own as he will His Power is independent and Prerogative illimited Psal 8.6 to be understood of Christ Thou madest him to have Dominion over the works of thine Hands Which Absolute Power floweth not from the nature of Communicative Bounty in bestowing Gifts to some more to others less and so hath more or less Right over them for then his Power should be finite and limited as Arminians hold only to cut off the Absolute Decree which the Lord past by vertue of his Right no Creature being capable of an Infinite measure of goodness But from the Excellency of his Nature being Omniscient Omnipotent Infinite Eternal c. 3. From the Irresistability of his power All things do obey him There is nothing from Heaven to Hell which boweth not under his Laws Rom. 9.19 Who hath resisted his Will Luke 7.7,8 Say the words and thy Servant shall he Healed And this is true of Christ as appears Math 8.27 Even the Winds and the Seas obey him Xerxes the Persian Monarch threw Fetters into the Sea as if he would have Chained the unruly Waves but to little purpose but when Christ speaks The Winds and the Seas shall obey him By a word he unpins the Wheels and breaks the Axle-Tree of the whole Creation In short whatever the Divine Unerstanding can Comprehend so much the Divine Power can Execute 4. From the Incommunicableness of this Attribute No Creature is Capable of being Omnipotent quicquid recipitur ad modum Recipientis Recipitur Besides every Creature is Resistable in the Exercise of Natural Qualities In him we Live and move and have our Being he Supports Restrains and orders all But here we meet with Objections from some who Imitating the Sorcerers cast mists upon the Brightest Morning 1 Object May not this Omnipotency be Imputed to the Humane Nature of Christ Answ By Reason of the Union Hypostatical the Properties of both Natures may be Communicated to the Person and yet not mutually between the Natures The Natures were not Changed nor their Properties Confounded each Retaining after what was peculiar before Christ suffered and Dyed but according
Christs Divine Property to be aâ— many places at once neither inclusively nor exclusively If it be said That the Omnipotency of God may extend the Dimensions of Christs Body that it may at the same time fill Heaven and Earth it may be easily replied This is to make Christ a Monster and to contradict the very Nature of a Created Body Yet Papists most confidently obtrude this Principle upon the Word and by this their Catholick Power make a Body to be at two places at once as the Body of Christ in Heaven and upon a popish Altar at once Which is a contradiction and therefore a lye Let God be true and every man a Lyar. Heaven is said to to receive Christs Body Acts 3.21 In Practice As they First who live as if they were Omnipotent Such there be in the World who endeavour to make their Will a Law and cause all to fall down before them Like Jezebel and Sennacharib confounding Elements and raising Stars with the Dust of the Earth whereby to come to the end of their exhorbitant pretensions Threatning to hew down Mountains and Thunder-strike Mortals supposing all the ample house of Nature to be Created for them Swallowing the World by Avarice and wasting it by Riot And not only so but according to the improvement of their Cruel Pride cry not with the Old Tyrant for another World to plunder but attempt the Invasion of the Intelligible World and commit Rapine upon Souls making havock of the Church of God to which Angels refer but as Ministring Spirits and Lording it over Gods Heritage which the Apostles besought to be Reconciled to God and never Commanded them any thing in their own name and only such things for which they could shew unquestionable Commission Such as these set themselves down in the Throne of God as Maximilian that good Emperour used to say this being one of those three things the Divine Power hath reserved to himself as his Prerogative viz. To Create to Foretel things to come and to Rule over Consciences Secondly Living as if they cared not for him that is Omnipotent indeed despising his Threatnings slighting his Promises as if he were able to perform neither Whence they dare to lift an Arm against the Omnipotent When as all power in Heaven and in Earth yea all Judgment is committed to Christ He hath Authority to relieve his Saints to Sentence all his Enemies unto Eternal Flames and Torments and will make some as bright as Stars and others like Burning Coals in Hell O Hear Consider Tremble 2. This Doctrine casteth a sharp Dart of reproof against all such that deny or doubt of it as those Israelites who said Can the Lord provide Flesh also And that Court-Favourite 2 Kings 7.2 Who when the Prophet Elisha by the Command of God foretold the great Plenty of Samaria dared to say If the Lord open the Windows of Heaven can these things be Such unbelieving hearts are among us to this day Can the Lord do this or that Is he able to accomplish what he hath promised can he Heal my Backslidings pardon my Sins and save my Soul As if the Lord Jehovah lived after the rate of Creatures This is to reproach the Holy One of Israel 3. Against such as rely altogether on the Power of God without the use of Means As the former sort Reproach God so these Tempt God The Lord could indeed Enlighten us without the Sun and afford us Fruit without the Earth but he will have the Creature Operate The very Heathen could say Admota manu Invocanda est Minerva and the Sage Greek Rebuked the foolish Carter who when his Waggon stuck in the Mud Cryed to God but never put his hand to help himself Meanes must be used Though men live not by Bread alone but by the word of Gods Blessing proceeding out of his Mouth yet that word is Annexed to Bread and not to Stones and that man should not Trust but Tempt God who would have Stones turned into Bread because God hath Power so to do And if God have provided stairs it is not Faith but Fury not Confidence but Madness to go down a Precipice Second Means must be used in Obedience to Gods order though not in Confidence of their help the Creature must be the Object of our Dilligence but God only the Object of our Trust Vse 3. Thirdly This Doctrine as it is sufficient to terrify the Wicked so it is to give occasion of Confidence to the Faithful since it hath an Eternal alliance with him that governs the World Read your matchless Consolation in the following particulars 1. Against Sin Satan and all Enemies of the Church that Christ is Omnipotent 2 Chron. 20.15 In the Words of King Jehosophat to the People of Judah Thus saith the Lord to you Be not afraid or dismayed because of this great Multitude for the Battel is not yours but Gods 2 Chron. 32.7,8 Hezekiah said to the People Be strong and Couragious be not Afraid or Dismayed for the Kings of Assyria nor for the Multitude that is with them for they are more with us than with them Whatever Power or Counsel shall be set up against Heaven shall not succeed against the design of Heaven The vast Numbers of men trouble him no more than those Millions of Waves in the Sea are a trouble to that great Ocean All Nations before him are but as one drop of the Dew He Causeth whole Countries to tremble under the Force of his Word as under Lightning Arrows and is attired with the Conquest and Trophies of Souls O the Wonders of God! He Causeth the Arrows of those that Invade his Kingdom to Return against them that shot them as in Julian's Case was apparent which we only mention Though he thought by the help of his false Gods to Command the Waves of the Sea and to walk upon the Stars yet was he buried in Execration and Horrours And as it is in Temporals so it is in Spirituals He can subdue the strongest Corruptions Break the hardest Heart relieve the most Fainting Graces Let all Christs People learn to look up and then you will 1. Patiently suffer and wait He is Omniscient and Omnipotent He knows all and can relieve all 2. You will learn to rest upon him Psalm 37.3 Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land You will not trust in men and frame to your selves an arm of Straw but confide in him who with the Fingers of his Power sustains the whole Globe of the Earth You will not Adore the Favours of men which are like the Rainbow in Heaven which having made shew of many Splendours and varied Paintings leaves nothing but Water and Morter You will then no more build Fortunes on Foundations of Silver upon a Frail man who beareth all the Fingers of Vanity God is a Wall of Brass about his people Lo I am with you to the end of the World In all Conditions If Daniel be