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a
V
r.
8phefuanf,Chap.i,
V
E
R.t9.
lute
power by which
he
can
doe
what
ever
is
poffible,
but that
power:
joyned with
his
will,
which
was
put forth for
finifhing
the worke
offaith
in
them who beleeved
:
This
power
is
dcfcribed by
the
quan-
tity,
in
chofe
words,
the exceedinggreatneffe
of
his power;
from the
per-
forts
whom it
refpet
eth,
towards
us who now
beleeve
;
the principal
cattle
of
their beleeving being
next adjoyned
,
viz.
the
efficacy
of
hit
mighty power,
which
was
put forth
in
rafting
Chrift
from the
dead.
The
fumme.
That
you may
not
onely know the hope of glory
laid
up
for
you, but
alfo more fully
fee
the
excellent great power which
hash
wrought,
doth
worke,
and will worke
out
for
us
who beleeve,
all
that
falvation and
glory we hope for
in
the
heavens,
for
us
I
fay,
who
are
brought to
beleeve
by
the
felfe
-fame
effeétuall
working
of
Gods
al-
mighty power, which
he
wrought
or
(hewed, while he railed
Chrift
from
the
dead.
Obferve then flrft, that Gods beleeving children know
not
at
Heft
any
thing clearely the great power
of
God which worketh
in
them.God
doth worke wonderfully
,
paffing
by
us
and
we
fee
him not
,
changing
hisplace and
we
obfrve
him
not
,7ob.9. r
r.It
is
as
nothing which
wee know
r
f
his
waits,
lob
z6. ult. And
as
he
revealeth
his
wifdome
in aftliéting
us
once, twice, and
we
heare himnot
;
fo he
doth
againe
and
againe
mani-
feft
his
power,
but
we are
not able to
conceive
it
:
This
is
part
of
that
lightto
which
is
no acceffe,the eye
of
our minds,efpeciallyat
firft,weak,
not
ableto looke againftit.
Wee
muff not then be difcouraged
if
we
cannot
conceive
of
God
in
any mcafure
as
we defire.
Our children
at
four or
five
yearesold,
what
doe
they know
of
our wifdome,
knowledge, ftrength
t
There
is a
common
-
wealth
in
the
head
of
a
man, no part
whereof
once
entreth
into
their
childi(h underftanding
:
When
our children
can
fo little
trace
the
wais
ofus their earthly parents,how much
leffe
able are
we any
thing
fully toknow
the
working
of
the
ftrength, wifdome, mercy, which
arc
in our heavenly
Father
%
Some may think
it Grange
that
fo exceeding
great
a
power
(hould
worke
and
not
be
difcerned,
when the
leaft
bodi-
ly force put to
us is
prefently
perceived
:
but
it
is
not with
this
power
as
with bodily, their working
is
violent and manifeft, the working
of
this
is
fweet and imperceiveable
;
and
when the heavens by their
influ-
ence
worke on bodies,
and
yet are not
as
commonly
difcerned,
how
mud
le(fe
is
it
to
be
wondred at, if
this fpirituall
Almighty
power
doe
intimate
it felfe in
fuch
fort,
as
it
is
not commonly obferved by
us
e
Agäine,as the
brighteft
light while
it fhineth in
a
thick cloud,feemeth
ra-
ther
darkne(fe
then light:fo this power while
it
worketh
in mid
ft
of
mani-
fold
weakneffes,is
not to outward
appearance
fo
powerful
as
it
is
in it felt.
Let
us
labor more
and
more to knowthis power
of
our
God
put forth
forus.
We
love
to
know the
ftrength
of
things, or earthly
perfons, to
whom
we truft, for till we know
our
felves
on lure
hand, our
thoughts
are
not
fecure
:
Thus we
fhould
delight to know this
power
of
God,
to
whom
we truft
,
as
the tower
of
our
ftrength
and rocke of
our
falvation.
The
power
of
God
is an
Article
of
beliefe,
not that
itis,
(if
we