Tillotson - BX5037 T451 1712 v1

742 The Power of God, Vol. I, 4. A perfect a&ive Principle, which can dó all things in a moft perfect man- ner, and can do all things at onceandin an inftànt, and that with eafe. We can but do one thing at once, and the greater and more confiderable it is, the more time it will ask us to do it, and we find it the harder and more difficult to be done ; but God, to whofe knowledge all things are prefent at once, and toge- ther, and the ads of whofe Will are as quick and perted as of his Underfland- ing, bath a Power anfwerable to the Perfectionof both ; and therefore 'ts as ea- fie to him to do all things, as one thing; at once, as fu'cceflively, and in time. For this is the privilege of an Infinite Spirit, that it does not only adwithout _Hands and material Engines or Inftruments, as every Spirit doth, but without motion from one place to another, becaufe he is every where, and fills all places ; he as per modumvoluntatis, as if his a&ings were nothing elfe but a willing that fuck a thing be done, and ipfofafïo every thing is fo, as he wills it fhould be, and when he wills it fhould be ; as if things did (tart up into being, or vanifh out of being,as if they did break forth into being, and fculk again into nothing, and under- go fuch and fuck changes, adnutum voluntatis,at the beck of his will: And thisis the moft perfect wayof ailing that can be imagined, which the Scripture feems to exprefsto us when it reprefents God as making things by his word,upholding all things by thewordofhis power ; as if he did but (peak the word, and fay, 'Let fuch a thing be, and it was fo ; as if there were nothingmore required to the doing of any thing, but an exprefs Ad of the Divine Will, which is all we can underfland by God's fpeaa king, by his word, and voice, and faying, Let things be ; but the leaft that it can fig- nifie, is the quick and fpeedy manner of working, whereby Gód is able to do things in an inftant, as fòon as a word can be fpoken. And as he can do all things at once, and in an inflant ; fo with eafe, with- out any pain or laborious endeavour ; for what is it can object anydifficulty to him t At the fitft Creation of things there was nothing to refift him ; and force the Creation, there is nothing but what was made by him, and confequently all whole power is derived from him, and depends upon him, and is fubjed to him, and being finite and limited, is infinitely unequal to the infinite Power of God ; fo that we may imagine the Divine Power would pafs through all the refiftance that all created Power can make, and all the difficulties it can object to it, with more eafe than a Bullet pafleth through the thin Air ; or a Man would pats through a Net of Cobweb. f. The moft perfect alive Principle we can imagine, the utmoft bounds and limits of whofe perfection we cannot imagine, that is, when we have imagined it to be as perfect, and to ad in as perfect a manner as we can imagine; yet we have not reached the Perfectionof it ; but after all this, that it can do many things more than we can imagine, and in a manner much more perfect than we can imagine. This is the Omnipotenceof God as to the Principle, which hath no bounds and limits. And II. As to the Exercife of it, it is only limited by the Divine Will and Wifdom. The Divine Will determines it to its Exercife, the Divine Wifdom directs, and regulates the Exercife of it ; that is, God exercifeth his Power willingly, and not by neceflïty, and in fuch manner, for the producing fuch Effects, and in order to' fuch Ends andPurpofes, as feem belt to his Wifdom. Hence he is Paid to all a(l things according to his goodpleafure, and according to the counfel of his will ; that is, frely and wifely. As to. the Extent of this Power, I Paid it was an ability to do all things that are confiflent with it felf, and with the Nature and Perfection of God. Firfl, That are confiftent with it felf, that is, with a Power to do all things. It is a contradiction to imagine, that Omnipotence can do that, which if it could be done, would render all Power infignificant. Upon this account, the Divine Power is not laid to extend to the working of any thing which implies a contra- diction, and the terms whereof fpeak a repugnancy to one another, and mutually. deltroy one another, and the doing whereof is contrary to the nature of the thing which is fuppofed to be done, that is, is nonfenfe, and cannot be imagined to be. For Example, That a thing fhould fie, and not be at the fame time. For a Power to

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