[2.] As creation, so providence shows it. Take it either for God's external or internal providence.
(1.) His external providence, preserving all things in their proper ])lace, and for their proper use : Heb. i. 3, 'He upholdeth all things by the word of his power.' All things that are in the world are held up by God's hand ; they do not subsist by their own nature so much as by divine manuteneiicy : ' He upholds all things.' It is an allusion to a weighty body that is held up by the hand of man, which if loosened, it falls to the ground ; so the creature would fall to nothing if not kept up by God. Now what an almighty grasp hath he that holds up all things ! He that feedeth so many mouths with the opening the hand of his bounty : Ps. cxlv. 15, 16, ' The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season : thou openest thy hands, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing ; ' he that sustains and guides so many creatures, that preserves the confederacies of nature, that sets bounds to the sea, and makes decrees for the waves to obey, beyond which they shall not pass : Jer. v. 22, ' Which have placed
VeR. 27.] SERMONS UPON 3IARK X. 17-27. 85
tlie sand for the bounds of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can- not pass it ; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they .not prevail ; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it ; ' he that holds the winds in his fist, is not he mifrhty and strong ? And there- fore, if God should but loosen his hand, the world would soon fall into confusion and nothing. Thus his sustaining and preserving all things speaks him an all-powerful God.
(2.) His internal providence. The providence of God is chiefly seen in his power over the spirits of men that are voluntary agents. He hath such a power over them that they are not masters of their own affections and dispositions, but act contrary many times to their intended purposes : Prov. xxi. 1, 'The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of waters; he turneth it whither soever he will.' Look, as a man by cutting a channel draws the water this way or that way, hither and thither, so doth God move the hearts of all men in the world, nay, even of kings and princes : Prov. xvi. 7, ' When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh evea his enemies to be at peace with him.' Strange thing that God can put a bridle upon the spirits of men, and they shall be at peace with him whom they hated; their liearts are turned many times to what formerly they resolved against. Esau is an instance ; he had vowed Jacob's death, and meets him with purpose to destroy him, but when God brings them together, Esau falls embracing of Jacob : Gen. xxxiii. 4, ' And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.' Egypt dismissed Israel with jewels. Balaam comes to curse, and he falls a blessing Israel. This bridling, turning, changing the hearts of men, it is a notable discovery of God's omnipotency. Look, as there is more power seen in governing a skittish horse than in rolling a stone, so in ruling those beings which have a principle of resistance doth the Lord show forth his power. Angels, men, and devils can do nothing but as God will, and as God gives them leave. The devils are fain to ask Christ's leave to enter into the herd of swine, Mat. viii. 31 ; and therefore how may the flock of Christ's sheep rest secure under the power of his providence, when those damned spirits are held in by the irresi-stible providence of God that they can do nothing b^it what God will ! As Tertullian said. If the bristles of swine be numbered, much more are the hairs of the saints. God hath such a mighty power, that not a creature can be troubled without his leave, even by tho.^e spirits that are most opposite to him ; so that his power over the afiections and hearts of men shows he is a great and mighty God.
[3] That God is almighty appears by the strength that is in crea- tures, which is an effect and shadow of the power of God. All the power that is in creatures is from God, and he wastes not by giving as we do. That expression suits to this case ; God took from the spirit of Moses, and put it upon the elders, and yet Moses had not the less because of their participation. We cannot communicate to others but we lessen ourselves, but God remaineth in an infinite fulness ; and therefore, if he hath given power to creatures, he hath more power himself. Now there is great power in creatures : Job xli. 8, Job tells us of great whales that have bones as brass, and strong as pieces of iron ; and David tells us of ' angels that excel in strength,' Ps.
86 SEIIBIONS UPON MARK X. 17-27. [SeR. XV.