IV.

that, as God has at all times declared this, SER M. they may be well affured of their eternal reward.

2. We may obferve, that God has in all ages given fufficient affurances of a life to come, not only by several notices or declarations of it, but by plain examples. In the Patriarchal ages when men began to corrupt themselves, and fall from their primitive innocence, he gave a strong intimation of it by the affumption of Enoch; and then afterwards, in the corrupted times of the Jewish church, by that of Elijah; and last of all, by the refurrection, and afcenfion of our bleffed Saviour. So that this grand truth has been abundantly declared, and illuftrated to the world, befides all the evidence for it from the deductions of reafon. God has been pleased in his goodness, to leave all men inexcufable, and to give them a plain rule for obtaining glory and happiness. And if they will not be perfuaded to follow the light that is given them, the fault muft reft upon themfelves, when by their own wicked and perverfe conduct, they become eternal fufferers.

3. We

SERM.

IV.

3. We may fee, that the fubftance of true and rational religion has been nearly the fame in all ages; viz. Faith in God and Holiness of life in walking with him, and the belief of a life to come. The religion of the Patriarchs, of Mofes, and the gospel, all tend to direct men to everlafting life and happiness; and they fhew, that there is but one path, that of virtue and goodness, which will fafely conduct us to it. In this plain path then, let us perfift, fo fhall we at length arrive at those heavenly manfions, which alone are worthy our purfuit, because in them alone our wishes can be compleated.

SER

75

SERMON

The Power of GOD.

PS AL. LXII. II.

V.

God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that Power belongeth unto God.

T

HE Power of God, is that aw- SER M. ful attribute, by which all his

other perfections are made effectual to any purpose; and for the efficacy of which, we praise him in his wonderful works. Without it, his Wisdom, Goodness, and other attributes, could not have brought things into being, nor govern them when they are made. So that infinite Power, added to intellectual and moral perfection, compleats his character as a perfect being; nor can we have any notion of a fupreme Deity, without thinking him infinite in this attribute. God hath spoken once, and twice bave I beard this, that Power belongeth unto God.

V.

The

SERM.

V.

The plain meaning of which words, if we omit their connection with the rest

And

of the pfalm, seems to be, that God hath
declared fufficiently by his works, that
Power belongeth unto him. The phrase,
God bath Spoken once, and twice, is an
ufual manner of speaking, as might be
easily fhewn from various inftances in
different languages; by which writers ex-
press the repetition of an event, a definite
number of times for an indefinite.
by which the Pfalmift here fignifies, that
God had plainly fhewn his Power, by re-
peated acts of it in his works of creation
and providence, and that he himself had
often feen and heard of it. At the crea-
tion, God spake once, or declared his
Power, when he called the things that
were not, as though they were. And
frequently fince, he has likewise, spoken
in the wonderful events of his providence,
both in the natural and moral world;
fometimes by furprising effects of it,
brought about from hidden causes, in
the ordinary courfe of things; and at
other times, by fupernatural acts, when
the circumstances of things required his
extraordinary interpofition.

In

In the following difcourfe, I fhall en- SER M. deavour

I. Briefly to represent to you, that God must have infinite Power, and mention some instances of it.

II. I fhall make fome obfervations on his exercise of it in the universe. And

Lastly, deduce some practical reflec

tions.

I. Then I am to endeavour to reprefent to you, that God must have infinite Power, and to mention fome inftances of it. The notion of Power, we acquire by obferving the changes which are made on the things that are about us, or the effects that are produced in the application of one thing to another. Thus from the effects of fire, of the fun, of gravity, and the like, or the changes made by them on all bodies, we have the notion of their power. And in living and in telligent agents, from the things that are actuated or effected by them, we have still more lively apprehenfions of their power. And the different manner of their acting upon things, and the various effects of their acting, gives us the no

V.