in a manner receive that which hath some similitude or affinity with it. Thus God rejoiceth at the effects of his wisdom, power, and goodness, and taketh delight in the works of his hands, Psal. civ. 31. Thus doth he order and dispose of all things unto his own glory, which redoundeth from the demonstration of his attributes.

An explicit belief of this authoritative power and absolute dominion of the Almighty is necessary; first, for the breeding in us an awful reverence of his majesty, and entire subjection to his will; for to the highest excellency the greatest honor, to the supreme authority the most exact obedience, is no more than duty. If God be our absolute Lord, we his servants and vassals, then is there a right in him to require of us whatsoever we can perform, and an obligation upon us to perform whatsoever he commandeth. Whosoever doth otherwise, while he confesseth, denieth him; while he acknowledgeth him with his tongue, he sets his hand against him. "Why call ye me Lord, Lord," saith our Saviour, "and do not the things which I say? ?"

Secondly; this belief is also necessary to breed in us equanimity and patience in our sufferings, to prevent all murmuring, repining, and objecting against the actions or determinations of God, as knowing that he who is absolute Lord, cannot abuse his power; he whose will is a law to us, cannot do any thing unwisely or unjustly. "Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?" Isai. xlv. 9. But let the man after God's own heart rather teach us humble and religious silence; "I was dumb," saith he, "and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it," Psal. xxxix. 9. When Shimei cast stones at him and cursed him, let us learn to speak as he then spake; "The Lord hath said unto him, Curse David: who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?" 2 Sam. xvi. 10.

Thirdly; the belief of God's absolute dominion is yet farther necessary to make us truly and sufficiently sensible of the benefits we receive from him, so as by a right value and estimation of them to understand how far we stand obliged to him. No man can duly prize

the blessings of heaven, but he who acknowledgeth they might justly have been denied him; nor can any be sufficiently thankful for them, except it be confessed that he owed him nothing who bestowed them.

But as the original word for almighty is not put only for the "Lord of Hosts," but often also for the "Lord Shaddai:" so we must not restrain the signification to the power authoritative, but extend it also to that power which is properly operative and executive. In the title of "The Lord of Sabaoth" we understand the rule and dominion of God, by which he hath a right of governing all in the name "Shaddai" we apprehend an infinite force and strength, by which he is able to work and perform all things. For whether we take this word in composition, as signifying "The All-sufficient," whosoever is able to suppeditate all things to the sufficing all, must have an infinite power; or whether we deduce it from the root denoting vastation or destruction, whosoever can destroy the being of all things, and reduce them unto nothing, must have the same power which originally produced all things out of nothing, and that is infinite. Howsoever, the first notion of almighty necessarily inferreth the second, and the infinity of God's dominior speaketh him infinitely powerful in operation. Indeed in earthly dominions, the strength of the governor is not in himself, but in those whom he governeth; and he is a powerful prince whose subjects are numerous. But the King of kings hath in himself all power of execution, as well as right of dominion. Were all the force and strength of a nation in the person of the king, as the authority is, obedience would not be arbitrary, nor could rebellion be successful; whereas experience teacheth us that the most puissant prince is compelled actually to submit, when the stronger part of his own people have taken the boldness to put a force upon him. But we must not imagine that the Governor of the world ruleth only over them who are willing to obey, or that any of his creatures may dispute his commands with safety, or cast off his yoke with impunity. And if his dominion be uncontrollable, it is because his power is irresistible; for man is not more inclinable to obey God

than man, but God is more powerful to exact subjection, and to vindicate rebellion. In respect of the infinity, and irresistibility of which active power we must acknowledge him Almighty: and so, according to the most vulgar acception, give the second explication of his omnipotency.

But because this word almighty is twice repeated in the Creed, once in the first article, and again in the sixth, where Christ is represented sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and although in our English and the Latin the same word be expressed in both places, yet in the ancient Greek copies there is a manifest distinction; seeing the word in the first article may equally comprehend God's power in operation, as well as authority in dominion, whereas that in the sixth speaketh only infinity of power, without relation to authority or dominion; I shall therefore reserve the explication of the latter unto its proper place, designing to treat particularly of God's infinite power where it is most peculiarly expressed; and so conclude briefly with two other interpretations which some of the ancients have made of the original word, belonging rather to philosophy than divinity, though true in both. For some have stretched this word almighty according to the Greek notation to signify that God holdeth, incircleth, and containeth all things. "Who hath gathered the wind in his fists; who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth?" Prov. xxx. 4. who but God? "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure?" Isai. xl. 12. who but he? Thus then may he be called almighty, as holding, containing, and comprehending all things.

Others extend it farther yet, beyond that of containing or comprehension, to a more immediate influence of sustaining or preservation; for the same power which first gave being unto all things, continueth the same being unto all. "God giveth to all, life, and breath,

and all things." In him we live, and move, and have our being," saith the strangest philosopher that ever entered

Athens, the first expositor of that blind inscription, “To the unknown God," Acts xvii. 25. "How could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy will? or been preserved, if not called by thee?" as the wisdom of the Jews confesseth, Wisd. xi. 25. Thus did the Levites stand and bless; "Thou, even thou, art Lord alone: thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are therein, the sea and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all," Neh. ix. 6; where the continual conservation of the creature is in an equal latitude attributed unto God with their first production; because there is as absolute necessity of preserving us from returning unto nothing by annihilation, as there was for first bestowing an existence on us by creation. And in this sense God is undoubtedly almighty, in that he doth sustain, uphold, and constantly preserve all things in that being which they have.

From whence we may at last declare what is couched under this attribute of God, how far this omnipotency extends itself, and what every Christian is thought to profess, when he addeth this part of the first Article of his Creed, I believe in God the Father Almighty. As I am persuaded of an infinite and independent Essence, which I term a God, and of the mystery of an eternal generation by which that God is a Father; so I assure myself that Father is not subject to infirmities of age, nor is there any weakness attending on the "Ancient of days;" but, on the contrary, I believe omnipotency to be an essential attribute of his Deity, and that not only in respect of operative and active power, (concerning which I shall have occasion to express my faith hereafter) but also in regard of power authoritative, in which I must acknowledge his antecedent and eternal right of making what, and when, and how he pleased, of possessing whatsoever he maketh by direct dominion, of using and disposing as he pleaseth all things which he so possesseth. This dominion I believe most absolute in respect of its independency, both in the original, and the use or exercise thereof: this I acknowledge infinite for amplitude or extension, as being a power over all things

without exception; for plenitude or perfection, as being all power over every thing without limitation; for continuance or duration, as being eternal without end or conclusion. Thus I believe in God the Father Almighty.

Maker of Heaven and Earth.

ALTHOUGH this last part of the first article was not expressed in the ancient creeds, yet the sense thereof was delivered in the first rules of faith, and at last these particular words inserted both in the Greek and Latin confessions. And indeed the work of creation most properly followeth the attribute of omnipotency, as being the foundation of the first, and the demonstration of the second explication of it. As then we believe there is a God, and that God Almighty; as we acknowledge that same God to be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in him of us; so we also confess that the same God the Father made both heaven and earth. For the full explication of which operation, it will be sufficient, first, to declare the latitude of the object, what is comprehended under the terms of heaven and earth; secondly, to express the nature of the action, the true notion of creation, by which they were made; and, thirdly, to demonstrate the Person to whom this operation is ascribed.

For the first, I suppose it cannot be denied as the sense of the Creed, that under the terms of heaven and earth are comprehended all things; because the first rules of faith did so express it, and the most ancient creeds had either, instead of these words, or together with them, the Maker of all things visible and invisible, which being terms of immediate contradiction, must consequently be of universal comprehension; nor is there any thing imaginable which is not visible, or invisible. Seeing then these were the words of the Nicene Creed; seeing the addition of heaven and earth in the Constantinopolitan could be no diminution to the former, which they still retained together with them, saying, I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; it followeth,