X.

heartily and earnestly to promote his good, to com- SERM. paffionate and, as we are able, to relieve his evils, to bear his infirmities, and to comport with unkindneffes from him, and the like duties, are incumbent on us, as peculiar to our profeffion.

These are the principal uses which the confideration of this point fuggefteth. Now God Almighty, the great Father of all things, and especially our gracious Father in Christ Jefus, grant that by his holy grace we may perform all filial duty toward him, (rendering unto him all love and reverence, all praise and thanks, all worship and obedience, together with all faith and hope in him,) that we may behave ourselves in all things as becometh this relation, that we may resemble him in all goodnefs, that we may perfift here continually in his favour, and obtain hereafter the bleffed inheritance from him; this he of infinite mercy vouchfafe unto us, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom for ever be all glory and praise. Amen. Even to God the Father, the Creator, Preferver, and Governor of all things, the Author and Donor of all good; to God the Son, the Redeemer of all the world, and foundation of all spiritual bleffings; to God the Holy Ghoft, the fountain of all true goodness, joy, and comfort, be for ever and ever all glory and praife. Amen.

The Father Almighty,

SERMON XI.

Rev. xi. 17.

O Lord God Almighty.

SERM. EVERY attribute of God is a proper and useful object XI. of our confideration; as being apt to mind us of our du

ty, and to excite us to the practice thereof; to beget in us thofe difpofitions of mind (that love and reverence toward God, that faith and hope in him) which we ought to have; and to draw from us real performances of obedience to him: each of them doth ground obligations to piety, and yieldeth arguments to the practice thereof; to which purposes, that confidering this divine attribute, Almighty, (mentioned in our text,) doth much avail, and that it therefore well deferveth to be preffed upon us, will appear more diftinctly from the application we fhall make thereof: at prefent we may perceive how confiderable it is, by observing în grofs; 1. That it is frequently in holy Scripture fingled forth, as moft proper to God; as most fully expreffive of his glorious excellency and majesty ; particularly the moft illuminate minifters of God's praise, Ifa. vi. 3. the feraphims in Isaiah, the four wights (or living creaRev. iv. 8. tures) in this book; and the twenty-four elders in this place, do therefore ufe it. 2. It is that attribute, which is alone most exprefsly fet down in our Creed, as especially neceffary to be believed and confidered: we say therein, I believe in God the Father Almighty. 3. It is that

XI.

with which we daily addrefs our devotions unto God; in SERM. our prayers we say, Almighty and moft merciful Father; in our praises we cry, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, or (which is the fame) Lord God of Sabaoth. It feems therefore fit and useful, that we should well understand the proper and full meaning thereof, together with the obligations grounded thereon, and the inducements it affordeth to good practice; that fo when we hear it used in Scripture, when we profess to believe it, when we apply it to God in our devotions, we may fo reflect thereupon, as to be admonished of our duty, and moved to the performance thereof. First therefore I will endeavour fomewhat to explain it; then fhall make a practical application

thereof.

nev. Verf.

The title, epithet, or attribute navτоxрáτwp, which we (finding no other word more properly and fully to exprefs it) do render Almighty, or omnipotent, is frequently in a manner peculiar and characteristical afcribed to God: the use thereof in the New Teftament is, by citation or imitation, transferred from the Greek of the Old, where it serveth to express those two famous and usual names of God, Sabaoth and Shaddai: especially it answereth to the former; for the latter is only rendered thereby in fome places of the book of Job: but the former, Sabaoth,"02101 víρες, οἷς Σα(when interpreted and not left in its own found,) is con- vy ftantly rendered παντοκράτωρ. I call Sabaoth a name of God; ἐσθλὸν ἴδω for that it is fo, it is in feveral places exprefsly affirmed; as Sibyll. lib. in Jeremiah; Their Redeemer is strong, Jehovah Sabaoth is Jer. 1. 34. his name: and in Ifaiah; For they call themselves of the Ifa. xlviii. holy city, and ftay themfelves upon the God of Ifrael; the " Lord of hofts is his name: and in Amos; He that formeth Amos iv. the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto 13. man what is his thought-Jehovah Elohei Sabaoth is his name, (from a fort of Jove, called Zeus Zaßßários, men- Cicero, Aritioned in fome Pagan writers, was, as fome critics fuppofe, ftoph. &c. deduced.) Now as all the names and appellations of God Diis S. cap. are fignificant, and denote fome perfection, or some prerogative belonging to him, (as Jehovah fignifieth his felffubfiftence, independency, immutability, and eternity; Elo

1.

Seld. de

3.

XI.

SERM. him his omnipotence; Shaddai his all-fufficiency; Adonai his fupreme dominion and authority,) fo doth this name or title, Sabaoth, primitively seem to import God's univerfal conduct and managery of all creatures: for all things in the world, as being ranged in a goodly and convenient order, (like an army marching in array, or marfhalled to battle,) are called armies, or Sabaoth. Thus, (after the Gen. ii. 1. hiftory of the creation it is faid,) The heavens and earth were finished, and all the host of them, (nãs nóσμos aútäv, Pfal. xxxiii. all the furniture, or all the battalion of them :) and, By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, faith the Pf. ciii. 21. Pfalmift, and all the host of them: and, Blefs the Lord all

6.

ye his hofts, ye minifters of his, that do his pleafure; that is, all creatures which are subject to his command, and Ifa. xl. 26. fubfervient to his will: and, Lift up, faith Isaiah, your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things; that bringeth out their hoft by number: he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is Strong in power; not one faileth: where God is represented to us as the general of an army, drawing forth and ordering his creatures, as a general fummoneth to a rendezvous, mustereth and embattleth his troops: hence this title of Sabaoth, which is rendered Tavтoxpáτwp, doth feem derived.

But we need not deal fo ftrictly, as to limit the fenfe of this word, according to its original rise, or its use in translation; but fince it hath been authenticated by its use in the holy fountains of truth, the New Teftament, and is there used so as to fignify or imply the fum of Divine perfections and preeminencies; being, as it feems, felected especially for that purpose, we may prefume to take it in its common latitude, for ὁ πάντων κρατῶν, οἱ ὁ πάντων κράτος Exw; according to which extent, it may have various importances, fomewhat different; it may accordingly denote, 1. right, or authority, over all beings, omni-poteftas ; and, 2. a power, or ability, to do all things, omni-potentia: 3. the actual exercise of fuch authority, and fuch power in ruling and difpofing all things; omni-potentatus: 4. poffeffion of all things; or the containing and holding all

things in his hand; omni-tenentia, (it is St. Auguftine's SERM. word:) 5. the preservation or upholding of all things in XI. their being and ftate: for the word xgaräv, according to its propriety and ordinary use, may infer and ground all these fignifications; and according to them all, God is truly avτoxрáτup. Let us furvey the particulars, and shew how God, especially in holy Scripture, is represented in refpect to them.

6.

1. God is Tavτoxpάτwp, as having a just right and authority over all things; he naturally is the fovereign Lord and Emperor of the world; for whatever imaginable rea- 1 Tim. vi. fon or ground there is of authority, doth in respect to all things agree unto God. Ariftotle, in his Politics, difcourseth thus: Government doth aim at and tend to the mutual benefit of the governor and governed; he therefore who is moft able and beft difpofed to provide for and procure the common benefit, is according to natural reason and justice (fecluding other confiderations of laws and compacts, of former conftitutions, of prefent poffeffion, and the like) to be the governor; or he deferves, and is fit to be fo, and (no other reafon hindering) becometh fuch, (That, faith the Philofopher, which naturally is apt o dvμor able to provide, doth naturally rule, and naturally lord-useορᾷν, ἄρχον eth :) whence the foul hath a right to govern the body; pure, & d and men naturally do rule over beafts; and were there any such persons, as did without any queftion very eminently exceed others in wisdom and goodness, to them, according to natural congruity, the government of others would appertain; the common advantage fo requiring: and if fuch excellency of nature be a foundation of authority, then God, who in wisdom and goodness doth incomparably surpass all things, hath affuredly the right to govern all fo a Pagan author could difcourfe; There is, faith Cicero, nothing better than God; therefore it is neceffary the world should be ruled by him: he is the only Rom. xvi. wife, (as St. Paul telleth us,) and thence most able; he is Luke xviii.

* Nihil eft præftantius Deo; ab eo igitur neceffe eft mundum regi. Cic. de N. D. 2.

φύσει

σπόζον φύσει.

17.

19.