Secondly, As it is from the pleasure of his goodness, so it is accom- plished by his almighty power. The scriptures speak of the power of God, which is necessary — (1.) To bring us into a state of grace; (2.) To settle and maintain us in a state of grace.
1. To bring us into a state of grace. Nothing but the almighty power of God can overcome man's obstinacy, and change our hearts, and subdue us to God. Man is so corrupt that he cannot change him- self, for there is no sound part left in us to mend the rest : Job xiv. 4, 'Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? ' Therefore Christ
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died to purchase the Spirit, to renew and sanctify us ; and his work must not he lessened and disparaged as if it were needless, or not so great as some would have it to he. The scripture always heighteneth it, and we must not lessen it. It is called a new creation : 2 Cor. v. 17, ' If any man he in Christ, he is a new creature ; ' Eph. ii. 10, ' We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works/ So Eph. iv. 24, ' That ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.' Now creation is a work of omnipo- tency, and proper to God. There is a twofold creation which we read of : in the beginning God made something out of nothing, and some things ex inhabili materia, out of foregoing matter, but such as was wholly unfit and indisposed for those things which were made of it ; as when God made Adam out of the dust of the ground, and Eve out of the rib of man. Now take the notion either in the former or in the latter sense, and you will see that God only can create. If in the for- mer sense, something and nothing have an infinite distance between them ; and he only that calleth things that are not as though they were can raise the one out of the other. To this sanctification is compared : 2 Cor. iv. 6, ' For God, who commanded the light to shine out of dark- ness, hath shined into our hearts,' &c. 6 elirayv. It alludeth to that, ' Let there be light, and there was light.' Or if you will take the latter notion, creation out of unfit matter, he maketh those that are wholly indisposed to good, averse from it, perverse resisters of what would bring them to it, to be lovers and followers of holiness and godliness : 2 Peter i. 3, ' By the divine power all things are' given us which are necessary to life and godliness.' God challengeth this work as his own, as belonging to his infinite power. By life is meant not life natu- ral, nor life eternal, but life spiritual ; and by holiness, the fruits of it, or holy conversation. All is accomplished by the exercise of his con- trolling omnipotent power ; so that this work must not be looked upon as a low, natural, and common thing, nor the benefit of the new creation be lessened and disparaged, lest we lessen our obligation to God.
2. To keep us and maintain us in a state of grace. Here consider — (1.) The necessity of the power of God ; (2.) The sufficiency of it to keep us.
[1.] The necessity of God's power : 1 Peter i. 5, ' Ye are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.' None but this almighty guardian can keep us and preserve us by the way, that we may come safe to our journey's end. This will appear to you —
(1.) Partly because habitual grace, which we have received, is a creature, and therefore in itself mutable ; for all creatures depend in being and working on him that made them : Acts xvii. 28, ' For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' Now as God assisteth all creatures in their operations, so doth he also the new creature : Heb. xiii. 21, ' The Lord make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight.' Not only is conversion wrought in us by God, but when we are converted, grace is no less necessary to finish than to begin. Our new estate dependeth absolutely upon his influence from first to last ; he worketh all our works for us and in us, not only giveth us habitual grace, which con- stituted our spiritual being, but actual grace, which quickeneth us in
288 SERMONS UPON 2 THESSALONIANS I. [SEE. X.
our operations. By this dependence on him God doth engage us to a constant communion with him. If we did keep the stock ourselves, God and we would soon grow strange ; as the prodigal, when he had his portion in his own hands, goeth away from his father. The throne of grace would lie neglected and unfrequented, and God would seldom hear from us ; therefore doth he keep grace in his own hands, to oblige as to a continual intercourse with him.