V. placed the fand for the bound of the fea, by as ER M. perpetual decree that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof tofs themselves, yet · can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pafs over it? And he doth according to his will, fays the prophet Daniel, iv. 35. in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can ftay his band, or fay unto him, what doeft thou? Thefe are lively descriptions of the Divine Power, which acts at all times in the univerfe, and continues the various productions of things; that power which brought into being the whole affemblage of them, and can crush them again into nothing. But now in the II. Place, let us make fome obferva- 1. We may obferve the manifeft dif- G 2 SER M. they were; it can produce all poffible exiftence, but the power of other agents can only operate upon, model, or effect fome change upon things. Creative power, or the production of existence, belongs only to God; this is the diftinguishing characteristic of the power of the God of the univerfe. It is true, we can have no notion of the manner of acting in fuch a power, how things can be brought into being; but we fee plainly, that God must be poffeffed of it; unless we suppose, that the fubftance of all things was eternal, and confequently that there are more eternal and self-exiftent beings than one; and that matter itself is neceffarily exiftent, which we know to be abfurd and inconfiftent with its nature. 2. We may obferve, that the Divine Power can effect every purpose intended, with the greatest ease, without any difficulty, and without any expence of time, as in a moment. For if things have their being from him, and depend upon him, and he canc all any thing into existence that he pleases, it is plain, that nothing can refift his will, nothing can retard or hinder his defigns. He cannot labour under V. under any difficulties; nor can there be S ER M. any thing uneafy to him in the exercise of his power. The everlasting God, the Lord, fays the prophet Ifaiah, xl. 23. the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, nor is weary. As all poflible existence is at his command, he can never want the proper means for executing his purpose. And therefore, no length of time can be requifite for his performance of any thing; for that always fupposes fome defect of means, or fomething that may hinder the event. And hence, in the fcripture, the great acts of God are often faid to be done with the greatest ease, and in a moment: thus at the refurrection, the apoftle tells us, 1 Cor. xv. that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 3. Hence alfo we may obferve, the abfurdity and folly of that opinion of the antient Manichees, that there is an evil Being, or cause of evil, that stands in oppofition to God, and independent of him, and produces all the evil in the univerfe; which notion they feemed to have acquired, by reflecting on the wickedness of mankind, and not being able fuffici V. SER M. ently to account for the cause of moral evil. But it is evident, there can be no being independent on God, or that maintain an oppofition to him. For there can be but one first cause of all things; all exiftence must come from one. And therefore, if every being muft depend upon him for its existence, and powers, there can be no refifting him; the united powers of all other beings must be as nothing before him. When he withdraws his fupply of their powers, they muft vanish into nothing. But God may nevertheless, for the purposes of his government, permit free and rational creatures to act in oppofition to him, that is, to do evil and to promote moral evil in the world. And hence, we read in the fcriptures, that the devil or evil angels, by the divine permiflion, endeavour to refift and fruftrate the work of God in the world; though it is plain, his uncontroulable power could easily destroy or reftrain them. And in this view of the permiffion of evil by providence, God is faid, Ifa. xlv. 7. to make peace and create evil; and it is also faid of him, can there be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it? 4. Never V. 4. Nevertheless, we may obferve, that S ER M. this almighty power has its juft and ra tional limits. It cannot be extended to any thing that is abfurd, unreasonable, or that would argue an imperfection in his nature; for to effect fuch things would be weaknefs and folly. Nor can it do any thing that implies a contradiction or impoffibility; fuch as to make the fame thing to be, and not to be, or to make the whole to be equal to its part, or that the fame body fhould be in two or more places at once; because fuch things are not the rational objects of power. For power can only extend to what is poffible, and confiftent with the nature of things. And therefore, we should never fuffer ourselves to be imposed upon with religious notions of the divine power, that involve a contradiction; for they must certainly be falfe, whatever fpecious pretences they may have; and here, by the way, we may fee, that the doctrine of transubstantiation must be false; because it implies a contradiction, which is inconfiftent with the Divine Power. For it fuppofes the body of Chrift, which af cended to heaven, to be in a variety of places at once, both in heaven, and in |