First, In agonies of conscience that arise from the greatness of thy sins, fly for refuge into the almighty power of God. Truly, sirs, when a man's sins are displayed in all their bloody colours, and spread forth in their killing aggra- vations, and the eye of conscience awakened to behold them through the multi- plying or magnifying glass of a temptation, they must needs surprise the creature with horror and amazement, till the soul can say with the prophet, for all this huge host, 'There is yet more with me than against me.' One Almighty is more than many mighties. All these mighty sins and devils make not any almighty sin, or an almighty devil. Oppose to all the hideous charges brought against thee by them, this only attribute. As the French ambassador once silenced the Spaniard's pride in repeating his master's many titles, with one that drowned them all. God himself, Hos. xi. 9, when he had aggravated his people's sins to the height, then to show what a God can do, breaks out into a sweet promise : ' I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger : ' and why not ? ' I am God, and not man.' I will show the almightiness of my mercy. Some- thing like our usual phrase, when a child or a woman strikes us ; I am a man, and not a child or woman, therefore I will not strike again. The very con- sidering God to be God, supposeth him to be almighty to pardon, as well as to avenge, and this is some relief; but then to consider it is almighty power in bond and covenant to pardon, this is more : as none can bind God but himself, so none can break the bond himself makes ; and are they not his own words, that ' he will abundantly pardon V Isa. Iv. He will multiply to pardon ; as if he had said, I will di-op mercy with your sin, and spend all I have, rather than let it be said my good is overcome of your evil. It fares with the gracious soul in this case, as with a captain that yields his castle upon gracious terms of having his life spared, and he safely conveyed to his house, thei-e to be settled peace- ably in his estate and possession, for all which he hath the general's hand and seal ; on which he marched forth, but the rude soldiers assault him, and put him in fear of his life ; he appeals to the general, whose honour now is engaged for him, and is presently relieved, and his enemies punished. Thou mayest, poor soul, when accused by Satan, molested by his terrors, say. It is God that justifies ; I have his hand to it, that I should have my life given me as soon as I laid down my arms and submitted to him, which I desire to do ; behold the gates of my heart are open to let the Prince of Peace in, and is not the Almighty able to perform his promise ? I commit myself to him as unto a faithful Creator.
Secondly, Improve this almighty power of God and thy interest therein, in temptations to sin ; when thou art overpowered, and fleest before the face of thy strong corruption, or fearest thou shalt one day fall by it, make bold to take hold of this attribute, and reinforce thyself from it ; again to resist, and in re- sisting, to believe a timely victory over it. The Almighty God stands in sight of thee while thou art in the valley fighting, and stays but for a call from thee when distressed in battle, and then he will come to thy rescue. Jehoshaphat cried, when in the throng of his enemies, and the Lord helped him ; much more mayest thou promise thyself his succour in thy soul-combats. Betake thyself to the throne of grace with that promise, ' Sin shall not have dominion over you ;' and before thou urgest it, the more to help thy faith, comfort thyself with this, that though this word Almighty is not expressed, yet it is implied in this and every promise ; and thou mayest, without adding a tittle to the word of God, read it in thy soul; ' Sin shall not have dominion over you,' saith the Almighty God ; for this and all his attributes are the constant seal to all his promises. Now, soul, put the bond in suit, fear not the recovery, it is debt, and so due. He is able whom thou suest, and so there is no fear of losing the chai'ge of the suit ; and he that was so gracious to bind himself when he was free, will be so faithful, being able, to perform now he is bound ; only while thou expectest the per- formance of the promise, and the assistance of this almighty power against thy corruptions, take heed that thou keep under the shadow of this attribute, and condition of this promise, Psa. xci. 1. The shadow will not cool, except in it. What good to have the shadow, though of a mighty rock, when we sit in the
AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT. 21
open sun ? To have almighty power engaged for us, and we to throw ourselves out of the protection thereof, by bold sallies into the mouth of temptation ? The saints' falls have been when they run out of their trench and hold ; for, like the conies, they are a weak people in themselves, and their strength lies in the rock of God's almightiness which is their habitation.