bute is this! Let us all adopt the inimitably beau tiful, very grand, and moft highly emphaticalExclamation of an infpired and inraptured Apoftle; O the Depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unfearchable are bis Judgments, and bis Ways paft finding out! Rom. xi. 33...

But furthermore, as God is an infinitely Great, and most perfect Spirit, he is poffeffed of an omnipotent Will. Therefore Jehovah Himself faid unto Abram; I am the Almighty GOD walk before me, and be thou upright. Gen. xvii.

Į.

And elsewhere; All Things are poffible with God. See, Math. xix. 26. This infinite Power, or abfolute Omnipotence of the Godhead, is by Job molt elegantly, and pathetically termed, the Thunder of God's Powers. See Job. xxvi. 14. Lo thefe are Parts of his Ways: but bow little à Portion is beard of bim? But the Thunder of his Powers, who can understand &

This eternal, this infinite, this Divine, this inconceivable, and moft highly tremendous Thunder of abfolute Omnipotence, challenges the most unshaken Affience, and all poffible Confidence at our Hands.

But in order to enlarge, ennoble, and render as ftriking the Idea of God's Omnipotence as I can; it will be proper to remark, and obferve to you, that God does do, and effect all Things by his Will, and, confequently, that he does all Things with perfect Eafe, and Facility.

For

For we do all know well, that it is the moft eafy Thing imaginable even to frail, impotent Creatures to will any Thing.

How

But if the most frequent Volitions, if the ftrongest Exertions, and moft violent Efforts of the Will be not fo much as difficult or tirefom even to created, temporal, impotent, mutable, finite, imperfect Spirits, or Beings: then, I befeech you, can it poffioly be fo to the uncreated, eternal, omnipotent, immutable, infinite, perfect Spirit or Being? Hence it is inconteftably evident that the everlasting God has at firft created, and ftill, yea ever preferves, fupports and governs the moft prodigiously vaft Universe by the bare Nod of his omnipotent Will; and, confequently, with perfect Eafe. How great the Work! How great the Eafe! But how most terribly great, how moft Divinely vaft the Power, that does this Work, with this Eafe, even without any trouble at all?

At all Events, fuppofe (for a further Illuf tration of the Matter) the omnipotent God were pleased to create out of nothing, as many Systems, as there are indivifible Particles or Atoms in our terraqueous Globe, and suppose all these countless Systems, millions of millions of Times larger than our Solar System. Or even fuppofe (for no Hypothefis can poffibly be extravagant here) God were pleafed to produce, or create immediately from mere nothing, more, infinitely more than all Men, and all Angels act

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actually can,or even more than allpoffible Creatures, (if created) might imagine unto themselves even unto all Eternity: For God does most certainly know, and is perfectly able to do, infinitely much more than all poffible Creatures and finite Beings can poffibly reprefent, or imagine to themfelves;) Behold, the bare Nod of God's omnipotent Will would, even in an Inftant, without any the very leaft Difficulty, Trouble, or wearinefs at all, do, Effect, perfectly accomplifh, and finish all. For the Thunder, the unknown divine Thunder of abfolute Omnipotence knows no Impoffibility, knows no Difficulty at all. Let the ftrongest and very boldImagination, fhudder at this infinitely violent Power of the Moft High God. Yea, let the whole Creation quake; let the great Univerfe tremble like a Leaf! Let Guilt, meft efpecially, aggrevated, black guilt ftand Thunder-ftruck, And let bold Offenders duly confider, to what moft divinely fierce Thunder their most atrocious Crimes bid Defience, what moft fearful Vengance they provoke, and to what most horrible Fury they expofe their defenceless Souls. But let all the Children of true Piety, put all their Truft in Him, who is altogether as willing, as he is able to make them most fupremely happy for ever and ever!

Much more might be faid here with Reference to the abfolute omnipotence of God. But as finite Beings cannot poffibly traverse the infi

infinite Kingdom, or Region of all poffibilities even to Eternity, (for all Things are not only poffible with; but even perfectly easy to God,) it would be utterly in vain for us, even to attempt, with our Plumbet, to found the bottomlefs profoundity of this eternal Ocean. And in vain it would be to put all our Invention, and Ima gination upon the Rack here: For the Omnipotence of the Godhead, like every other Divine Attribute, is abfolutely incomprehenfible, and unfearchable.

But again, fince God can neither love, nor defire, or will, any one Thing, but what his infinitely perfect Understanding exhibits and reprefents to himself as right, good, and ever beft of all, and fince God is at an infinite remove from all Imperfection, he must needs be perfectly Holy Yea, he is infinitely glorious in Holiness. Jehovah is Sanctity itself. Hence Mofes in his infinitely fublime, and moft divine Song, fays; Who is like unto thee, O Lord, amongst the Gods? Who is like thee, glorious in Holiness, fearful in Praifes, doing Wonders? Eod. xv. II. Yea, fo infinitely and moft tranfcendently Holy is the Lord God Omnipotent, that he cannot even behold Sin. Hence the Prophet fays; Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold Evil, and canft not look on Iniquity. Habakkuk i. 13. Behold even to the Moon, and it fbineth not; yea, the Stars are not pure Sight. Job. xxv. 5.

See

in

33

See alfo Job. xv. 15. Bebold be putteth nà Truft in bis Saints; yea, the (very) Heavens are not clean bis Sight. and again Chap. iv. 18. Behold, be put no Truft in bis Servants; and bis' Angels be charged with Folly. Wherefore even the moft holy Seraphim themselves, moft deeply impreffed with the ftrongeft, and livelieft Senfe of the infinite Purity, and most divinely glorious Sanctitude of the eternal and moft incomprehenfible JEHOVAH, covered themselves all over, even from Head to Foot, and, with a loud and ftrong Voice, cry unto one another, faying; Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hofts, the whole Earth is full of bis Glory. Ifa. vi. 3. "The divine Sanctity is that pure Love of God, which is exactly proportionable to, and perfectly commenfurate with the Quantity, or greatnefs of the Perfection and goodness of its Object." Now fince the greatnefs of the Perfection, and goodnefs of God, or of all the Divine Attributes, is abfolutely infinite, his Holiness muft needs be infinite alfo.

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God is alfo juft, Pfal. xi. 7. For the righteous Lord loveth Righteousness; bis Countenance doth behold the upright. The Juftice, or Righteoufnefs of God, is his moft facred Will, confidered with Relation to the moral Good, and moral Evil of all the Actions of rational Creaturns, by which, he loves and will reward thofe and hates, and will inflict condign Pun

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