Use. God by this would teach the world what to think of him. He created the world out of mere nothing, or out of matter not prepared; he created them wholly by his word, having no partaker with him. The great thing that we should learn hence is God's power. That you may consider it with profit, I shall lay down a few proposi- tions.
1. Power is one of God's greatest perfections ; that serves most for the comfort of the creature. It is love to make a promise ; truth to regard his promise ; and it is his power that makes good his promise. The warrant of our faith is the truth of God ; but the proper ground of our faith is the power and sufficiency of God. When the apostle speaks of Abraham that was the father of the faithful, his faith is bottomed and founded on God's power ; he believed that God was able to do it : Kom. iv. 21, ' Being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform.' This is the proper ground of our faith, that God is every way sufficient to make good his promise. It is the prime perfection of God ; for it is the power of God that maketh all other the perfections of God valid and effectual for the comfort of poor creatures. Therefore may we receive comfort from his mercy, because he is able to show mercy ; therefore may we depend upon his goodness and truth, because it is seconded with the power and all-sufficiency of God : Eph. iii. 20, ' He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.'
2. In the creation there is no attribute so eminent as God's power. There was wisdom and goodness shown in the creation, but the main attribute is power. God's wisdom and his goodness appear in the crea- tion, as they exist in created things ; but God's infinite power is in himself. Therefore, when the apostle speaks of the knowledge of heathens, Rom. i. 20, he saith in the creation was manifested * his eternal power and godhead.' That was the principal thing discovered in the work of creation : Ptev. v. 12, ' Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riclies,' &c.
3. We must not only with a naked, idle speculation reflect upon
VeR. 3] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 435
God's power but improve it to the uses of religion, as to fear and to trust.
[1.] To fear -. Ps. xxxiii. 8, ' Let all the earth fear the Lord ; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him ; ' Job xxxviL 23. 24, * Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out ; he is excellent in power . , . men do therefore fear him.' We should have a dread of God because of such power. Who would not fear to enter into the lists with him ? By sins committed against God yon draw omnipo- tencj about your ears. Would you engage the mighty God against you ? There are two causes of carnal com liance : we presume of God's mercy, and fear man's power. To check it, consider God is able by the rebuke of his countenance to turn us to nothing, that made us out of nothing.
[2.] Improve it to trust, Li all your straits and exigencies, when nothing appears, then wait upon the Lord ; he can create means when he finds none ; he can produce all possible things into act, or leave them still in the womb of nothing. He can do you good by contrary means ; as Christ cured the blind man's eyes by clay and spittle, by that which seemed to put them out.
SEEMOX XII
By faith Ahel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, hy ivhich he obtained icitness that he luas righteous, God testify- ing of his gifts ; and hy it he, being dead, yet speaketh. — Heb. xi. 4.
The apostle cometh to iUustrate the properties of faith by the special experiences of the saints. He begins with Abel.
But you wiU say, Why doth he pass by Adam, the first man, and the first behever in the world ? For four reasons.
1. Because Abel was the first persecuted man for righteousness, by Cain professing the same worship : whereas Adam lived a quiet life, without assault and molestation. And so it suits with the apostle's scope, which is to embolden believers against troubles and persecutions for Christ's sake. Here was the first instance of the distinction of men, Cain and Abel, brothers born of the same womb ; nay, which is more, supposed to be twins of the same birth ; yet one the seed of the woman, and the other the seed of the serpent. Therefore Abel is fitly propounded as the first pattern of faith ; as Cain was the patriarch of unbelievers, as Tertullian calls him. And the apostle says, Jude 11, ' They have gone in the way of Cain.' This was an early instance of the enmity between the seeds, and the first pledge of the spite and malice which carnal men do now manifest against the children of God because of the old hatred. Adam was the first sinner, but Cain the first murderer. Therefore the apostle doth well begin with Abel, who was the first-fruits of the faithful ; in him the envy and malignity of