his will. God can with a word unpin the wheels, and break the axle-tree of the crea- tion. He can do more than we can think, Eph. iii. 20. He can suspend natural a- gents ; he sealed up the lions' mouths, made the fire not to burn ; he made the waters to stand upon an heap ; he caused the sun to go ten degrees backward in Ahaz his dial, Isa. xxxviii. 8. What can pose omnipo- tency ? The Lord cuts off the spirit of princes, Ps. Ixxvi. 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. Ixxxi. 24-., " with his breath," Isa. xl. 2 1., " 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 pil- lar of fire, and troubled their host." Who shall stop him in his march ? God com- mands, 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 tlie word, the stars fight in their courses against Si- sera ; if he stamp with his foot, an army of angels shall presently be in battalia. What cannot omnipotent power do ? " The Lord is a man of war," Exod. xv. 3. He hath a mighty arm. Ps. Ixxxix. 13., "God's power is a glorious power," Col. i. IL ( I.) It is an irresistible power, Rom. ix. 19., " Who hath resisted his will ?" To contest with him, is as if the thorns should set them- selves 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 es- caping, 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 exei-cise 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."
Ob J. Can God do all things ? lie 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 \st. If God be so infinite in power, fear tliis great God. We are apt to fear such as are in power ; Jer. v. 22., *' ' Fear ye not me?' saitli tiie Lord: ' Will ye not tremble at my presence ?' " He hath power to cast our souls and bodies into hell ! Ps. xc. 11., " W\\o 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. i. 6. Solomon saith, " Where the word of a king is, there is power," Eccl. viii. 4.; much more where the word of a God is. O let us fear this mighty God ! The fear of God will drive out all other base fear.
Use 2d. 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 tliom. Me hath power to forgive sins, but he will not put forth his power towards an imj)cnitcnt sin- ner. God's power is an eagle's wing to carry the saints to heaven ; but what pri- vilege is that to the wicked ; though a man will carry his child in his arms over a dan- gerous water, yet he will not carry an ene- my in his arms. God's power is not en- gaged to help those that fight agai.ist 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 sin- ner'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 tlie sinner. Now, in what condition is every unbe- liever? God's power is engaged against
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him, and "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," Hob. X. 31.