Serm. XCIX. The Power ofGod, Strength to God. Pfal. 24. 8. The Lord flrong and might. So girt withpower ; the mighty trod; thine is thegreatnefs and the power ; thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. Of the fame nature are thofe places which call upon all Creatures to afcribe this to God ; Give unto the Lord ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and Jlrength. . 2. Thofe which afcribe this to God in in eminent degree. lob 9. 4. He is mighty in f rength ; excellent in power ; who is like unto him ? The Lord5ebovah it everlafling ffrength. 3. Thofe Texts which afcribefuch a Power as tranfcends any Human or crea- ted Power. Suchas thofe which exprefs all the power which Men have to be derived from God ; yob: 19. II. Thou couldell have no power at all, except it were given thee from above. And thofe which advance the Power of God above the Power of Men ; Luke 18. 27. The thingswhich are impojble with men, are pofible with God ; He is able to do exceedng abundantly dove all that we can ask or think. Eph. 3. zo. 2 Citron. o. 6. Job 9. 4. According to his mighty power, whereby he is able to fubdueall things to himfelf, Phil. 3. 21. Dan. 4. 35. Thole which declare all things to be equally eafie to him, and nothing difficult ; There is nothing too hard for thee, Jer. 32,. 17. z Chron. 14. II. I Sam. 14. 6. 4. Thofe which afcribe all Power to him, by the Titles of Almighty, All-J - cleat,. Gen. 17. 1. Rev 4. 8, 11. x5. 3 16. 7. 19. 26. Job 42.. z. Thou canfl do all things. Matth. 19. 6.. Mark io. 2.7. Luke 1.3 7. I have difpatch'd what I propos'd upon this Argument, give me leave to apply all in the following particulars. Ufe Firfi, The confideration of God's Omnipotence may caufe terror to wic- ked Men. All this power which I have defcribed, or rather, which is fo great that I cannot defcribe it, is engaged againtt Sinners ; His power andhis wrath is . againll all that forfake him, Ezra 8. aa. And who knows what thofe words fig- nify, Pfal. 9o. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger ? as is thy fear, fo is thy wrath. There is no Paffon in the Heart of Man more infinite than our Fear, it troubles us with jealoufie and fufpicion of the utmoft that may happen ; but whenwe have extended our Fears to the utmoft, thepower of God's wrath reach- eth farther. Whenever we fin, we challenge the Almighty, and dare infinite Power to do its wort to us ; /ad 1 ç. a.ç. fpeaking of the wicked Man, He flretcheth out his hand againfl God, and ffrengthenetb himfelf againli the Almighty. Whom wilt thou fear, if not him who can make thee extremelyhappy or mile- rable for ever ? Willyeprovoke. the Lord to jealoufie ? areye flronger than he ? Be- caufe he loth nothing againft thee for the prefent, thinkeft thou he can do no- thing ? Nab. a. 3. He is flow to anger, and great in power, and will not acquit the wicked. There is a day a coming, when the Son of man /hall come in the clouds of heaven, with power andgreatglory. Secondly, The confideration of God's Omnipotence thould check the Prideand vain Confidence of Men. What have we to be proud of ? -What have we thatwe have not received ? Where then is caufe of balling? Who may glory in his fight ? Thofe that have the greateft Power thould remember whence it is derived, and render back the Glory of it to the Fountain of it. Pfal. a.9. 1. Give unto the Lord, Oye mighty, giveunto the Lordglory and ffrength. So likewife it thould take Men off from relying upon their own ftrength, which at the belt is but an arm of flefh,,. as the Scripture calls it, for the weaknefs of it. Do we not fee, that many times the battel is not to the flrong ? That things are not done by might and bypower, but by' the fpirit of the Lord. When he appears againft the moil potent, their hearts melt within them, and there is no more fpirit left in them, as'tis Paid of the mighty Inhabitants of Canaan, Jolh. ç. 1. Thirdly, We thould make this Omnipotenceof God the Objeët of our truft and confidence. This is the molt proper ufe we can make of this Doctrine, as Da- vid does in this Pfalm ; and this was ufed for a form cf blefing the People in the Name of God ; Pfal. 136. 3. The Lord that made heaven and earth, biefs thee.. And David, when he magnifies God's deliverance of his People from the multi- tude of their Enemies, refolves it into this, Our help ffandeth in the name of the Cccccz Lord, 747
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