hard for him who created the World? Once bath God spoken (faith the Pfalmift) twice have I heard this, that Power belongeth unto God. Pf. lxii. 11. To him it belongeth originally, effentially, and independently. In the moft excellent and powerful of created Beings there is still fome Mixture of Weakness. There are fome Things which tranfcend the utmost Exertion of their Force. But in God and in him alone it is truly and abfolutely infinite, and which extends to whatsoever is the proper Object of Power, without any Bounds or Limits. If all the Power and Strength of Angels and Men were collected into one, what a mighty Power would this be! and yet as it is all derived from God, and dependent upon him; fo, if fet in Oppofition to him, or compared with the Fulness of Power which is in him, it would deferve no other Name than that of Weaknefs and Impotency. And this almighty Power of God, as it naturally tendeth to ftrike the Mind with a religious Fear and Reverence, fo it filleth the Heart of a good Man with ineffable Satisfaction and Joy. How delightful is it to confider unlimited Power ever employed for the most excellent Purposes in maintaining and ferving the good Order of the Universe, and C 3 particularly

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particularly in protecting and defending thofe that fincerely love him and put their Truft in him, and in promoting their real: Happiness? The Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth, to shew himfelf frong in Behalf of those whofe Heart is perfect (or upright) towards him. 2 Chron. xvi. 9. The Righteous are often exposed to the Rage of great and powerful Adverfaries, but in this they rejoice that their Help is in the Name of the omnipotent God who made Heaven and Earth. Hence the devout Pfalmift cannot forbear exulting and testifying the Joy and Confidence of his Soul in the Power of God, even amidst the greatest Dangers : The Lord is my Light and my Salvation, whom Shall I fear? The Lord is the Strength of my Life, of whom shall I be afraid? Though an Hoft fhould incamp against me, my Heart Shall not be afraid; though War should arife against me, in this will I be confident. Pf. xxvii. 1, 3. We are told, that the Lord giveth Power unto the Feeble, and to them that have no Might be increafeth Strength. Ifa. xl. 29. Zion, i. e. the Church, fball rejoice, because the Lord God in the Midst of her is mighty. Zeph. iii. 17. Hence that noble Exhortation, Truft ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting Strength,

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Strength. Ifa. xxvi. 4. His Power exceedeth all that the most unbounded Imagination is capable of conceiving. He is able to do exceeding abundantly for us, above all that we ask or think, according to the Power that worketh in us: Therefore fhall Glory be afcribed to him in the Church by Chrift Jefus throughout all Ages, World without End. Eph. iii. 20, 21.

Secondly, God is a Being, not only of almighty Power, but of infinite Wisdom. And indeed Power without Wisdom is a blind unguided Force, more proper to infpire Terror, than Efteem. But with God. is Wifdm and Strengh, he hath Counfel and Understanding. Job. xii. 13. He is described in Scripture as the only wife God, as if none could be properly called wife but God only. To be wife as an Angel of God, is fometimes used as a proverbial Expreffion to fignify an eminent Degree of Wisdom. But all this Wisdom is wholly derived from God, and, however great in itself, is so small and inconfiderable, compared with his, that he is faid to charge his Angels with Folly. Job. iv. 18. Of him alone it can be faid, that his Understanding is infinite. Pf. cxlvii. 5. He taketh in the whole Compafs of Things, past, prefent, and to come, at one intire all-comprehending View, and hath

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hath a most perfect Discernment of all their poffible Connections and Relations, and therefore must needs know in every Circumftance what is beft and fitteft to be done. Juftly therefore is he reprefented as wonderful in Counsel, and excellent in Working. If. xxviii. 29. Knowledge and Wifdom, especially where it is in the highest poffible Degree, naturally commandeth our Admiration and Esteem; and, when we confider it as ordering all Things for the univerfal Good, and even for our Happiness, it must needs produce in us a divine Joy and Gladnefs of Heart. àre ignorant fhort-fighted Creatures, liable to Errors and Miftakes, and often at a Lofs what Courfe to take amidst the Difficulties and Perplexities which furround us. What

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a Comfort therefore muft it be to raise our Views to the moft wife Governor of the World, and Difpofer of all Events! Bad Men may lay their Defigns with great Subtlety as well as Malice, but there is no Wifdom nor Understanding, nor Counsel against the Lord. Prov. xxi. 30. He dijappointeth the Devices of the Crafty, fo that their Hands cannot perform their Enterprife. He taketh the Wife in their own Craftiness, and the Counfel of the Froward is carried headlong. Job v. 12, 13. It is a ravishing Thought to

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a good Mind, that, even when Things have the most difaftrous Afpect, ftill infinite Wifdom is at the Helm, and prefideth over all Events, even thofe that feem to be most contingent; and that God knoweth how to caufe Good to arife out of Evil, and Order out of Confufion, and to bring about his own excellent Designs by Methods far tranfcending all human Comprehenfion. Safely therefore, and with a divine Complacency, may the Righteous caft their Cares and Burdens upon the Lord, both with Regard to Concernments of a public and of a private Nature; and can look up to him to direct their Paths, even in the moft perplexing Circumftances, from a Perfua→ fion that he will order all Things for them in the wifeft and fitteft Manner.

Thirdly, It is the Goodness of God which especially tendeth to fill the Heart of a Man of true Piety and Virtue with a fincere and folid Joy. What can poffibly be more delightful than to contemplate infinite Wif dom and almighty Power as in a perfect Conjunction with the moft diffufive Goodnefs and Benignity! To behold the supreme Lord and Father of all ever promoting the Good of the Whole, and the Happiness of each Individual as far as is confiftent with it, fending forth his beneficial Influences,

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