the laws of motion communicated to matter, he could also combine all that would result from intelligence, freedom of will, and all the faculties which make the essence of spirits; and, before he had formed those spiritual beings which compose the intelligent world, he knew what all their ideas, all their projects, all their deliberations would be. He says, "he searcheth and knoweth them;" he foresaw, he foretold, the afflictions which Abraham's posterity would endure in Canaan; (Gen. xv. 13,) the infidelity of the Jews, the faith of the Gentiles, the crucifixion of the Messiah. On this article, we are obliged to exclaim, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." God is every where, because he veils the most impenetrable; darkness the most thick, distance the most immense, can conceal nothing from his knowledge. Soar to the utmost heights, fly to the remotest climates, wrap thyself in the blackest darkness, every where, every where thou wilt be under his eye. "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit ?" But,

2. The knowledge of God is not a bare knowledge, his presence is not an idle presence; it is an active knowledge, it is a presence accompanied with action and motion. We said, just now, that God was every where, because he influenced all, as far as influence agrees with his perfections.

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When new beings appear, he is there; he influences their productions. He gives to all life, motion, and being. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven." (Neh. ix. 6.) "O Lord, I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Ps. cxxxix. 1416.

When beings are preserved, he is there; he influences preservation. "Thou preservest man and beast. When thou openest thy hand they are filled with good. The eyes of all wait upon thee."

When the world is disordered, he is there. He influences wars, pestilence. If nature refuse her productions, it is because he hath "made the heavens as iron, and the earth as brass." It is he who "makes the winds his messengers, and his ministers flames of fire."

When every thing succeeds according to our wishes, he is there. He influenceth prosperity. "Except the Lord

build the house, they labour in vain that build it." Ps. cxxvii. 1.

When our understanding is informed, he is there. He influenceth our knowledge. For in his light we see light. He enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world."

When our heart disposeth us to our duties, he is there. He influenceth our virtues. It is he who "worketh in us, both to will and to do. Who giveth to all that ask

liberally."

When grossest errors cover us, be is there. He influenceth errors. It is God who "sends strong delusions. Go, make the heart of this people fat." Isa. vi. 10.

When we live, when we die, he is there. He influenceth life and death. "Man's days are determined, the number of his months are with him. To God the Lord belong the issues of death. He bringeth down to the grave."

He influenceth the least events, as well as the most considerable. "The hairs of our heads are numbered;" even "a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his will." But,

3. When God communicates himself to all, when he thus acts on all, and diffuseth himself through the whole, he connects all with his own designs. God is present with all, because he directs all.

Doth he call creatures into existence? it is to manifest his perfections; it is to have subjects on whom he may shower his favours; it is, as it were, to go out of himself, and to form through the whole universe, a concert resounding the Creator's existence and glory: "For the invisible things of God, even his eternal power and godhead, are understood by the things that are made. The hea vens declare the glory of God." Ps. xix. 1-3.

Doth he preserve creatures? it is to answer his own designs; the depth of which no finite mind can fathom; but which we shall one day know, and admire his wisdom. Doth he send plagues, war, famine? it is to make those feel his justice, who have abused his goodness.

Doth he afford prosperity? it is to "draw us with the

bands of love."

Doth he impart knowledge to us? it is to discover the snares that surround us, the miseries that threaten us, the

origin from which we spring, the course of life we should follow, and the end at which we should aim.

Doth he communicate virtues? it is to animate us in our race; to convince us there is a mighty arm to raise us from the abyss into which our natural corruption hath plunged us; it is that we may work out our salvation with fear and trembling; knowing that God worketh in

us."

Doth he send error? it is to make us respect that truth which we have resisted.

Doth he prolong our life? it is because he is long-suffering to us. He opens in our favour "the riches of his goodness and forbearance, to lead us to repentance."

Doth he call us to die? it is to open those eternal books in which our actions are registered; it is to gather our souls into his bosom, "to bind them up in the bundle of life;" to mix them with the ransomed armies "of all nations, tongues, and people."

Such are our ideas of the omnipresence of God. Then God seeth all, influenceth all, directeth all. In this sense we are to understand this magnificent language of scripture: "Behold, the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." This was our prophet's meaning throughout the Psalm, "O Lord, thou hast searched me," verse 1, &c.

Inference.

From this idea of God, we see all the virtues issue which religion prescribes.

If such be the grandeur of our God, what ought our repentance to be? who have provoked him to jealousy, as if we had been stronger than he; insulted that majesty which angels adore.

If such be the grandeur of God, what should be our humility? What are we? a grain of dust, a point, an atom, a nothing.

If such be the grandeur of God, what ought our confidence to be?" If God be for us, who can be against us ?"

But, above all, if such be the grandeur of God, if God be every where present, what should our vigilance be? What impression should this thought make on reasonable souls, "Thou God seest me

THE POWER OF GOD.

Lo! these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? But the thunder of his power who can understand?—Job xxvi. 14.

BILDAD had, in the foregoing chapter, entertained Job with a discourse of the dominion and power of God, and the purity of his righteousness; whence he argues an impossibility of the justification of man in his presence, who is no better than a worm. Job, in this chapter, acknowledges the greatness of God's power, and descants more largely upon it than Bildad had done; but both preach it with a kind of ironical speech, as if he had not acted a friendly part, or said little to the purpose. The subject of Job's discourse was the outward prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the godly; and Bildad reads him a lecture of the extent of God's dominion, the number of his armies, and the unspotted rectitude of his nature, in comparison of which the purest creatures are foul. Job therefore taxeth him, verses 1-4, that he had not touched the point, but rambled from the subject in hand: "How hast thou helped him who is without power?" Your discourse is so impertinent, that it will neither strengthen the weak, nor instruct the simple; but, since Bildad would take up the argument of God's power, Job would show that he wanted not his instructions on that subject, that he had more distinct conceptions of it than his antagonist bad uttered, and therefore (from verse 5, to the end of the chapter) he treats the subject in a magnificent manner, and concludes in the words of the text, "Lo! these are parts. his ways."

The nature of God's power.

this

Power sometimes signifies authority; but the power of God in the text does not signify his author strength.

1. The power of God is that ability or s he can bring to pass whatsoever he ples his infinite wisdom can direct, and the u

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his will resolve. His counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure. He hath done whatsoever pleaseth him.

2. The power of God gives activity to all the other perfections of his nature. As holiness is the beauty, so power is the life of his attributes in their exercise. God hath a powerful wisdom to attain his ends without interruption, a powerful mercy to remove our misery, a powerful justice to punish offenders, a powerful truth to perform all his promises.

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3. This power is originally and essentially in his nature. The strength and power of princes is originally in their people, and only managed by their authority to command but the power of God is not derived from any thing without him, but essentially in himself. Power belongeth unto God; and all the power that the creature possesses is derived from him.

4. Hence it follows, that the power of God is infinite. What is the exceeding greatness of his power? According to the working of his mighty power. Nothing can be too difficult for the Divine power to effect. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? A power which cannot be opposed. None can stay his hand.

II. Wherein the power of God is manifested.

1. In creation. With what majestic lines doth God set forth his power in the works of creation. "The firmament showeth his handy work, and the heavens are the work of his fingers," therefore called the firmament of his power. And he only spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. "Let there be light, and there was light. 2. The power of God is made manifest in the government of the world.

1. In preservation, or natural government, God is the great Father of the universe, to nourish as well as create it. Thou, Lord, preservest man and beast. As they were created by his word, they are supported by the same. He openeth his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living creature. It is by his power the heavenly bodies have rolled in their spheres, and the tumultuous elements have persisted in their order. He holds the waters in the hollow of his hand, and weighs the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance; and in him we live, move, and have our being.