on the Lord'r Prayer. , 203 ofSin; fOr Sin is' no_r from Power , bu r from Weaknefs, fincc alllmpic::ry confills of Dcfi!Et:, and all Deft:Et i~ from Impotence; and therefore rbe Apottle rclls us, Jam. J, 13. God cnnnot be tempted with Evil: HolinefS and Putiry is an Elfemial .A.uributr. of rh~ Divine Ej]cnce ; and rbert:fore Go:l can as foon nf)f be as .be rh-;: Author ofSin ; for all Sin mul~ arite ei(he:r frorh Weakr.efs in the Under fhndmg, or PcrVerfenefs in the Will; but the Divine Under)fanding is infiniu: ly clear, and, therefore cannot be dazled vo.•ith the fa He Shews and Appearances of Evil; and rhe Dfvine Will is. infinite~ Iy Holy, and confirmed to the Sovereign Rule of bis Sapience and Wifdotl) . And tberetOre where th l!reisno pofflbil iry of Ignorance in the one, nor of Irregularity In tbe or her, there can be no Obliquity in thofe A.tti ons which proceed from both, but they mu!\ all needs be moll Holy, Ju!l and Righteous. • Thirdly, Gdd cannot do any T!;ing that argun bim m111able and unconftanr : He cannor change his Purpotes, nor break his Promifes, nor alret the Th ing that is gone out of his Lips : And tho' the Scripture makes frequent ment ion of God's Repeming_himf~lf of what he bath done, fo we read Gen. 6. 6. It repenttd the Lord t hat !Je made Man, Exod. 3 2. 1 9· The Lord repented of the Evil that be thougbt to do unto biJ People. 2 Sam. 24. 16. And1he Lord repented him of tlu Evil; yet thefC and filch like Exprelfions are fp0ken only by Way of Accommodation w ourC~paciries, and fpokerl Gup.7r~6is- ~ dv3-pwT.md·f, compaffionattly,and afrerthe Mann~r of Mef!,but rnuflbe underftood, 9!o?ret"W>, after fuch a Manner as is hefin ing God: For as Men When they re.: pem offt•har tht:y have made do again defitoy ir, and aEt: contrary tc their former 1\aings; 10 becauft:God dorh fome r1mes a£1 contra ry to his fOrmer AEtings he is fa id to Repent of what he had done ; altho' in firiEt Propriety of Speech the Imm:Jtability of his EJ!cncc is fuch, that all his Purpofes and ,Counfel$ iland firm and fixed for ever, Mal. 3. 6.1 am tbe Lcrd, I change nor. James r. q. tVah him is- no Variablenefs, nor Shadow of Turning. And therefore betaufe of this Eternal Fixodnefsof God's Pur· pofi; ir is fa1d that be cannot deny bimfeif, 2 Tim. 2. q. Tbat be cannot lie, Tir. t. 2. and that it is impo!fible that Godjhould lie, Hob. 6. r 8. becaufe thefe Things imply lncon!tancy and Ficklenefs, which is always an EffeU of Wcaknels; for whenfoever we aher our Counfels and Refolutions it is hecaufe we fee fame Inconvenience would follow upon thcm,~which we did nol before confider, which to impute rv God were the ·highe!l Blafphemy. Now thefe Three Things only excepted, all other Things in the World fall within the Comp1fs of God't Power. He is able to do all Things, (as Origen fpeaks excell ently,) rhedoing whereof would not deny him to be God, or to be Holy, or to be Wife. And therl.!fore he cannot bring to plfs Comradi8:ions, nor do he alter his Eternal Purpofrs~ for this would derogare from his Infinite Wifi:lom. He cannot be the Author ofSin, for rhis would be a Stain and Blorupon his Infinite Puri ty and Holinefs, and both will be Impotency rather than Power; and were he weak enough to dothofe Things he would not be God, for it is Effential to God ro be infinitely Wife, and infinitely Holy. Let us now btieHy lhew how this Confideration of the Power of God may be made ufeof as a prevalenc Argument for the Hre;:ngthning of our Failh in Prayer, and theaffuring usof that ~e fhall obtain what we~sk; for our Saviour bath raugbcus to fubjoin it ro all our Petittons as a Reafon why we fhould ask, and as a Motive why we (hou!d ipeed, For thine is tbt Pawer. , ' · Now the great ~rrengthofrhis lyes ~ere, in that it muft needs be a mighty Encouragemen t co ourFanh ro rdietl: and conhder that whatfoever we ask, we ask it ofaGod tbar is able eo give ir us; he is not a weak, impotent, Deity, hue a God who bath all PorJur in his Hands, and therefore can efh:a whatfoever wedefire ofhim. Behold what Care God bath taken to Urengtben our Faith when we Pray unto him. TherearebutTwo Things thar can make us doubt of Speeding in our Requefts, the one is whether God will, tbe otht:r is whether be can, grant us what we ask ; and that our Faith might not boggle at either of thefe our Saviour bath as it were hedged in, and inclofed all our Prayers wilh thefe Two great Fences ofour Faith, God's Willingne!s and his Power to help: The Preface to this Excellent Prayer conrainsrhe. on~, andtheConclufion ofthjsPrayenheother: He is our Father, and therefor~ if Eanbly Parents, whofe Bowels of Mercy are bur finite, are yet fo tender o\•er their Children , and ready to do their utmoft to contribute what Affiftance they can rowards rhem, much more will our Heavenly Father, wbofe Mercies and Compailions are lcfiuite iDd Bour)dlefs; but !ell our Faith !hould yet llagger and fufpeU
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