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I. WHAT WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND BY THE POWER OF GOD.

1. As to the principle. It is an ability to do all things, the doing of which speaks power and perfection; that is, whatever is not repugnant either to the nature of things, or of God; whatever does not imply a contradiction in the thing, or an imperfection in the doer; an ability to do all things which are consistent with itself, and with the Divine nature and perfection. To help our conception —

(1) Let us imagine a principle from which all other power is derived, and upon which it depends, and to which it is perfectly subject and subordinate.

(2) A perfect active principle, which can do, not only what any finite being or creature can do, but what all beings joined together can do; nay, more and greater things than they all can do.

(3) A perfect active principle, to which nothing can make any considerable, much less effectual resistance, which can check and countermand at pleasure, and carry down before it, and annihilate all other powers that we can imagine besides this; because we cannot imagine any other power that is not derived from this, and does not depend upon it.

(4) A perfect active principle, which can do all things in a most perfect manner, and can do all things at once, and in an instants, and that with ease.

(5) The most perfect active principle we can imagine, the utmost bounds and limits of whose perfection we cannot imagine, that is, when we have imagined it to be as perfect, and to act in as perfect a manner as we can imagine, yet we have not reached the perfection of it; but after all this, that it can do many things more than we can imagine, and in such a manner much more perfect than we can imagine.

2. As to the exercise of it. The Divine will determines it to its exercise, the Divine wisdom directs and regulates the exercise of it; that is, God exerciseth His power willingly, and not by necessity, and in such manner, for the producing such effects, and in order to such ends and purposes, as seem best to His wisdom. Hence He is said to act all things according to His good pleasure, and according to the counsel of His will; that is, freely and wisely.

II. THIS PERFECTION BELONGS TO GOD. This I shall show —

1. From the dictates of natural light. This was one of the most usual titles which the heathens gave to their supreme deity, "Optimus Maximus"; next to his goodness they placed his greatness, which does chiefly appear in his power; and they did not only attribute a great power to him, but an omnipotence. Now their natural reason did convince them that this perfection did belong to God by these three arguments —

(1) From those two great instances and expressions of His power, creation and providence; for the heathens did generally acknowledge the making of the world, and the preservation and government of it, to be the effects of power, determined by goodness, and regulated by wisdom.

(2) Because all other perfections, without this, would be insignificant and ineffectual, or else could not be at all. Without this, goodness would be an empty piece of good meaning, and not able to give any demonstration of itself; knowledge would be an idle speculation; and wisdom to contrive things, without power to effect them, would be an useless thing.

(3) Without this there could be no religion.

2. From Scripture.

(1) Texts which in general ascribe power, might, strength to God — Psalm 24:8; Psalm 29:1; 1 Chronicles 29:11; Matthew 6:18.

(2) Those which ascribe this to God in an eminent degree — Job 9:4.

(3) Those which ascribe such a power as transcends any human or created power. Such as those which express all the power which men have to be derived from God — John 19:11. And those which advance the power of God above the power of men — Luke 18:27; Ephesians 3:20; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Job 9:4. Those which declare all things to be equally easy to him, and nothing difficult — Jeremiah 32:17; 2 Chronicles 14:11; 1 Samuel 14:6.

(4) Those which ascribe all power to Him, by the titles of "Almighty, All-sufficient" — Genesis 17:1. Revelation 4:8, 11; Revelation 15:8; Revelation 16:7; Revelation 19:16. Job 42:2. "Thou ernst do all things" — Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37.

(J. Tillotson.)

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KJV: God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

WEB: God has spoken once; twice I have heard this, that power belongs to God.