11.15.

29.

Lect. V. Lord Jefus Chrift, and the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghoft, be with you all, Amen. Now for the Illuftration of this Mystery of the Trinity, tho' it be a very difficult matter, yet feveral Learned Men have attempted it. But at prefent I fhall only mention this one of St. Auftin: That as the Understanding, the Will, and the Memory, are three Faculties in one Mind; To the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are three Perfons yet but one God. And for the Diltinction of Perfons, I fhall only rentiid you of what is faid of it in the Athanafian Creed: The Father is made of none, neither Created nor Begotten; the Son is of the Father alone, neither Made, nor Created, but Begotten: and the Holy Ghoft is of the Father and of the Son, neither Made, nor Created, nor Begotten, but Proceeding.

The next thing to be confider'd, is, that God is [Almighty. Which is not to be understood, as if he could n.23% do all things without Exception: For the Scripture fays, He cannot Lie, Tit. 1. 2. And, that he cannot deny him felf, 2 Tim. 2. 13. In a word, he cannot Sin; for to Sin is not an Argument of Power, but of Weakness, as we fee in our felves. Neither is it to be understood as if his Power were only reftrain'd by his Will: For tho' it be faid, He doth whatsoever he will, Pfal. 115. 3. Yet it does not follow that he can do no more. For it is faid, That God was able of thofe Stones to raise up Chil dren to Abraham, Mat. 3. 9. Yet he would not. To which agrees the Saying of one of the Ancients, Tho' what foever he will do, that he can; yet it does not follow, that what foever he can do, that he will.

But to fet this matter in a clearer Light, you must know there are two forts of impoffible things.

1. Such as imply a Contradiction, and therefore are in their own Nature impoffible: For two Contradictions

* Quicquid vult, poteft, non tamen quicquid poteft vult.

cannot

cannot be both true, as to be and not to be, to do a thing, and not to do it at the fame.time.

2. Such as imply a Paffive Power, not incident to God, as to Sin, to Die, or the like, which argue not Power but Weakness. For tho' thefe things be in Nature, and to Creatures poffible, yet to the Nature of God they are impoffible.

Now thefe two forts of things being excepted, we may affirm that there is nothing fo impoffible to Men and Nature, but that with God it is poffible. And therefore he is called Almighty, not becaufe he can do all things whatfoever, for we fee there are many things which he cannot do; nor yet because he can do as much as he will, for his Power reaches further than his Will; but because hè is able to do whatfoever is neither in its own Nature, nor to his Nature impoffible, whether he will it or no. And this is what is implied in our Saviour's words, Mat. 19. 26. All things are poffible with God. And this being an Attribute belonging to the Deity, tho' it be here a fcrib'd only to the Father, yet it is alfo to be applied to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoft. As it is plain in the Creed of Athanafius: The Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghoft Almighty; and yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.

Now for the ufe of this, If God be Almighty, as we are taught to believe and profefs.

1. It ought to ftrengthen our Faith in his Promifes, fince whatfoever he has promifed, he being Almighty, is able to make it good. For there is nothing too hard for the Lord, Jer. 39. 17. He is great in Counfel, and mighty in Working, and fheweth Loving kindness unto thoufands, and recompenfeth the Iniquity of the Fathers Into the Bofom of their Children after them.

2. It ought to encourage us in Prayer, for he that is Almighty, is able to do abundantly for us above all that we can ask or think, Eph. 3. 20. As there is nothing too hard for him to do, fo there is nothing too great for him to grant, if he know it fit for us and we for it.

Thy

Nay, he often makes his Bleffings to exceed our very Thoughts and Defires, as he did to David, 2 Sam. 7. 19. And to Solomon, 1 Kings 3. 13.

3. It ought to deter us from Sin, fince he has Power to punish all our Iniquities.

His Power is Infinite; and therefore we ought to fear him, who cannot only kill the Body, but is able to caft both Body and Soul into Hell, Mat. 10. 28. And,

4. It ought to comfort us in all our Afflictions, fince our Condition can never be fo ill, but Almighty Power is able to relieve us.

There is no end of his Power, but he does what fover he will. He can help our Infirmities, and heal our Diseases, and fuccour us in Danger and Diftrefs, and fupply our Wants and Neceffities, whatsoever it be that we ftand in need of.

In the next place, we are to confider God as [Creator of the World,] or [Maker of Heaven and Earth.] And this alfo is to be afcrib'd to the whole Trinity, as appears, Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth. Where the word Elohim is the Plural Number, and the Verb in the Singular. And 'tis faid, v. 26. Let us make Man: Which cannot be meant as fpoken to the Angels, because it is immediately added [in our Image, and after our Likeness;] and Man was not made in the Image of Angels, but of God. Now to Create is to make fomething out of nothing, which is

* Τοῦ γὰρ κράτος ότι μέγισον. Home

+ Immenfe eft, finemq; Potentia Cocli

Non Habet, & quicquid fuperi voluere, peractum eft. Ovid.

peculiar

35 peculiar to God alone. Men may alter the Fashion of things from one Form to another, but there must be fome precedent Matter for 'em to work upon. But as God Created the Heaven and the Earth, and all that in them is, there could be no precedent Matter to make them of, and fo they were made out of nothing. Yet we are not to think that every individual thing was produc'd immediately out of nothing: For we read of a Chaos or confus'd Mafs of Matter, out of which he form'd the World. But then this Chaos was firft Created by him, in order to the Production of other things. In a word, God made Something out of Nothing, and of that Some thing, all things. But there is yet fomething more implied in this word Creator, viz. That as God by his Almighty Power has of nothing made all things, both Heaven and Earth, and all that is contained therein; fo by the fame Power he ftill Suftains and Governs all things.

In the laft place, we are to confider what is here meant by [Heaven and Earth.] Now you must know that in the Hebrew Language there is no fingle word to fignifie the World, or the whole Syftem of Nature; and therefore they are forc'd to exprefs it by Enumeration of the Parts. As in that general account of the Creation of the World, Gen. 1. I. 'Tis faid, In the beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth. And under thefe is alfo included all the Furniture and Inhabitants of them: And therefore in the Nicene Creed, after [the Heaven's and the Earth, it is added [and of all things visible and invifible.] Now by the Heavens, is meant not only the vifible Heavens which are expos'd to our view, but also thofe pure Etherial Regions which are the Habitations of Angels and glorified Spirits. And under the Creation of the Heavens is included alfo the Creation of Angels, both good and bad. That is not only thofe who are now the Attendants of the great King, and employ'd by him in various Services, and in particular to Minifter to those who shall be the Heirs of Salvation; but alfo

Le&. V. those who are fallen from their happy State, and delight in nothing but Evil, who are yet Over-rul'd and Go. vern'd by him, and can do nothing without his leave and permiffion. And by the Earth is meant not only the Earth it felf, but alfo the Products and Inhabitants of it, and in particular Man, appointed to be the Lord and Governour of it. All which both in Heaven and Earth are ftill under the Care and Providence of God, not only to preserve and uphold them in being, but to dif pofe and order them as he will.

Now this Confideration that God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth, of Angels and Men, and that he Suftains and Governs all things, will teach us feveral ufeful Inftructions. As,

1. That we ought to Serve and Worship God, and obey his Laws, and do his Will, as being the great Lord and Creator of all, from whom we receive all that we are, and all that we have in the World. 'Tis be that has made us (fays the Pfalmift, Pfal. 100, 3.) and not we our felves; and therefore we are his People, and 'tis fit and reasonable we fhould be under his Dominion and Government.

2. That we ought to behave our felves with all Humility and Reverence in our Addrefes to him, fince we have not to do with an Earthly Prince or Potentate, who, tho' never fo great is but a Creature like our felves, but with our Maker, from whom we had our very Being, and without whom we cannot fubfift one moment. We have to do with him who is the Blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lords of Lords, 1 Tim. 6. 15. And therefore if we would ferve him acceptably, it must be with Reverence and Godly Fear, Heb. 12. 18. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all Gods: Therefore we ought to Worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker, Pfal. 95.3, 6.

3. That we ought to commit our felves unto him as to a Faithful Creator, 1 Pet. 4. 19. Who having made us, is able to do for us, and will difpofe of us, as he knows