[1.] Let us see what is this all-sufficient power and dominion of Christ. It lieth in three things — (1.) A right of making and framing anything as he will, in any manner as it pleaseth him : Jer. xviii. 6, * Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.' (2.) A right and power of possessing things so made.
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all is his ; they are rebels that said, Ps. xii. 4, ' Our tongues are our own; who is lord over us?' (3.) A right of using, governing, and disposing of all things so possessed : Mat. xx. 15,' 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own ? ' whether men or any other creature in the world.
[2] This dominion and all-sufficient power is a great stay to the souls of true believers, to cause them with comfort to trust themselves and all their affairs in the hands of Christ. We have no reason to doubt of his care, protection, and merciful disposal of us ; and if poor, sick, and desolate, you may go to him ; it is in the power of his hands to help you. (1.) There is no want, but he can easily supply it : Ps. xxiii. 1, ' The Lord is my shepherd ; I shall not want.' (2.) There is no pain or suffering, but he can easily mitigate or remove it : Mat. viii. 2, ' Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.'
[3.] There is no danger so great from which he is not able to deliver thee : Dan. iii. 17, 18, ' If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, 0 king : but if not, be it known unto thee, 0 king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up ;' 2 Cor. i. 10, ' Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver ; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.' Where can we be so safe as in the love and covenant of such an almighty saviour? Get but this imprinted upon your hearts, and it will beget a strong and steadfast confidence in him.
6. He reasoneth from the strict discipline observed in the Eoman armies, where there was no disputing of commands or questioning why and wherefore : ' I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me ; and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth ; and to another, Come, and he cometh ; and to my servant. Do this, and he doeth it,' ver. 9. Where he compareth person with person : I am a man, thou a God ; condition with condition, a subordinate officer with Christ the supreme Lord ; he knew what it was to obey and to have power over others ; power with power, his power over soldiers and servants with Christ's command over all events, health and sickness, life and death. Keason- ing for God and his promises is a great advantage. We are naturally acute in reasoning against faith, but when the understanding is quick and ready to invent arguments to encourage faith, it is a good sign.
Use. Go you and do likewise. From the example of the centurion let me encourage you —
1. To readiness of believing : James iii. 17, ' The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated.' This is opposite to that slowness of heart to believe which we read of, Luke xxiv. 25, ' 0 fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.' These are more receptive and easy to enter- tain a doctrine than others : John. vii. 17, ' If any man do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.' The sincere and renewed need less ado to convince them. There is a light credulity : Prov. xiv. 15, ' The simple believeth every word ; ' and there is the readiness of a sincere mind to embrace the truth. We are to captivate our understandings to the obedience of faith, but not every fancy, lest we be like children, ' tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind
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of doctrine,' Eph. iv. 14. No ; a christian must not be like a reed shaken witli the wind, nor believe every spirit ; but yet, where the truth is sufficiently evidenced, we must embrace it. Most of our hesi- tancy in religion comes not so much from the conflict between our light and the doubts of our mind, as from the conflict between our light and lusts, which maketh us irresolute ; but a sincere heart soon overcoraeth the difficulty.
2. To represent our necessity to Christ, and refer the event to him, to commit and submit all to him. There is an all-sufficiency of power, and infinite pity arid goodness, that we need not trouble ourselves about the event. Submission before the event is faith, as after it is patience. Tliis is true faith, in such cases as the centurion came about, to refer all to Christ.