must not think that Chrift fhall cease to be a King, (f) or lofe any of the power and honour which before he had. The Dominion which he hath was given him as a reward for what he fuffered: and certainly the reward fhall not cease when the work is done. He hath promised to make us Kings and Priests, which honour we expect in Heaven, believing we fhall reign with him for ever, and therefore 2 Tim. ii. for ever must believe him King. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Chrift, and he shall reign for ever and ever, not only to the modificated eternity of his Mediatorfhip, fo long as there shall be need of regal power to fubdue the enemies of God's Elect; but also to the complete eternity of the duration of his humanity, which for the future is co-eternal to his divinity.

12.

Rev. xi. 15

Left we should imagine that Chrift fhould ever cease to be King, or fo interpret this Article, as if he were after the Day of Judgment to be removed from the right hand of God, the ancient Fathers added those words to the Nicene Creed, (g) whofe kingdom fhall have no end, against the Herefy which then arofe, denying the eternity of the Kingdom of Chrift.

C

The profeffion of Faith in Christ, as fitting on the right hand of God, is neceffary; firft, to mind us of our duty, which muft needs confift in fubjection and obedience. The majesty of a King claimeth the loyalty of a fubject; and if we acknowledge his authority, we must submit unto his power. Nor can there be a greater incitation to obedience, than the confideration of the nature of his government. Subject we must be whether we will or no; but if willingly, then is our fervice perfect freedom; if unwillingly, then is our averfeness everlasting mifery. (b) Enemies we all have been ; under his feet we all fhall be, either adopted or fubdued. A (i) double Kingdom there is of Chrift; one of power, in which all are under him; another of propriety, in

thofe

those which belong unto him: none of us can be excepted from the firft; and happy are we if by our obedience we fhew ourselves to have an intereft in the second, for then that Kingdom is not only Chrift's but ours.

Secondly, It is neceffary to believe in Christ fitting on the right hand of God, that we might be affured of an aufpicious protection under his gracious dominion. For God by his exaltation hath given our Saviour to be the head over all things to the Church; and therefore from him we may expect direction and prefervation. There can be no illegality where Chrift is the Law-giver; there can be no danger from hoftility where the Son of God is the defender. The very name of (k) Head hath the fignification not only of dominion but of union; and therefore while we look upon him at the right hand of God, we see ourselves in Heaven. This is the fpecial promise which he hath made us fince he fat down there, To him that overcometh will I grant to fit with me in Rev. iii. 21. my throne, even as I alfo overcame and am fet down with my Father in his throne. How should we rejoice, yea rather how should we (1) fear and tremble at so great an honour !

Thirdly, The belief of Chrift's glorious Seffion is most neceffary in refpect of the immediate confequence, which is his moft gracious Interceffion. Our Saviour is afcended as the true Melchifedech, not only as the King of Salem, the Prince of Peace, but Heb. vii. 1. alfo as the Priest of the most high God; and whereas every Priest, according to the Law of Mofes, food Heb. x. 11, daily miniftring and offering oftentimes the fame Sacri- 12. fices which could never take away fins, this man, after he had offered one Sacrifice for fins, for ever fat down on the right hand of God. And now Chrift being fet down in that power and majefty, though the Sacrifice be but once offered, yet the virtue of it is perpetually advanced by his Seffion, which was founded on his Paffion; for he is entered into heaven itself, Heb. ix. 24.

now

33, 34.

now to appear in the prefence of God for us.

Thus, 1 John ii. 1. If any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Heb. vii. 25. Jefus Chrift the righteous. And he is able also to fave them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them. What then remaineth to all true Believers but that triRom. viii. umphant exclamation of the Apostle, Who Shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that juftifieth: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who alfo maketh interceffion for us. For he which was accepted in his Oblation, and therefore fat down on God's right hand, to improve this acceptation continues his Interceffion; and having obtained all power by virtue of his humiliation, reprefenteth them both in a moft fweet commixtion; by an humble omnipotency, or omnipotent humility, appearing in the prefence, and prefenting his (m) poftulations at the Throne of God.

Having thus explicated the Seffion of our Saviour, we are next to confider the description of him at whose right hand he is fet down; which seems to be delivered in the fame terms with which the Creed did firft begin, I believe in God the Father Almighty; and indeed, as to the expreffion of his Effence, it is the fame name of God; as to the fetting forth his relation, it is the fame name of Father; but as to the adjoining attribute, though it be the fame word, it is not the fame notion of Almighty. What therefore we have spoken of the nature of God, and the Perfon of the Father is not here to be repeated, but fuppofed; for Chrift is fet down at the right hand of that God and of that Father, which we underftand when we say, I believe in God the Father. But because there is a difference in the language of the Greeks between that word which is rendered (n) almighty in the first Article, and that which is fo rendered in the fixth, because that peculiarly fignifieth authority of dominion, this more properly power in

opera

operation; therefore we have referved this notion of omnipotency now to be explained.

In which, two things are obfervable; the propriety, and the univerfality; the propriety in the potency, the univerfality in the omnipotency; firft, that he is a God of power; fecondly, that he is a God of infinite power. The potency confifteth in a proper, innate, and natural force or activity, by which we are affured that God is able to act, work and produce true and real effects, which do require a true and real power to their production: and in refpect of this he is often defcribed unto us under the notion of a mighty God. The omnipotency or infinity of this power confifteth in an ability to act, perform and produce, whatsoever can be acted or produced, without any poffibility of impediment or refistance and in this refpect he is reprefented to us as an almighty God. And therefore fuch an omnipotency we afcribe unto him: which is fufficiently delivered in the Scriptures, first by the testimony of an Angel, For with God nothing fhall be impoffible; fe- Luke i. 37. condly, by the teftimony of Chrift himself, who faid, With men it is impoffible, but not with God; for with Mark x.27. God all things are poffible. Now he, to whom all things are poffible, and to whom nothing is impoffible, is truly and properly omnipotent. Thus whatfoever doth not in itfelf imply a repugnancy of being or fubfifting, hath in reference to the power of God a poffibility of production; and whatsoever in refpect of the power of God hath an impoffibility of production, must involve in itself a repugnancy or contradiction.

This truth, though confeffed by the Heathens, hath yet been denied by fome of them; but with fuch poor and infufficient (o) arguments, that we fhall need no more than an explication of the doctrine to refute their objections.

all

First, then, we must say God is omnipotent, because power whatsoever is in any Creature, is derived

from

from him; and well may he be termed Almighty, who is the fountain of all might. There is no activity in any Agent, no influence of any Cause, but what dependeth and proceeded from the principal Agent or the first of Causes. (p) There is nothing in the whole circumference of the Universe but hath fome kind of activity, and confequently fome power to act; (for nothing can be done without a power to do it:) and as all their Entities flow from the first of Beings, fo all their feveral and various Powers flow from the first of Powers: and as all their Beings cannot be conceived to depend of any but an infinite Effence, fo all thofe Powers cannot proceed from any but an infinite Power.

Secondly, God may be called omnipotent, (q) be cause there can be no refiftance made to his power, no oppofition to his will, no refcue from his hands. lía. xiv. 27. The Lord of hofts hath purpofed, and who fhall difannul it? his band is ftretched out, and who fhall turn it Dan. iv. 35. back? He doth according to his will, in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or fay unto him, What doeft thou? According to the degrees of power in the agent and the refiftent, is an action performed or hindered: if there be more degrees of power in the resistent than the agent, the action is prevented; if fewer, it may be retarded or debilitated, but not wholly hindered or fuppreffed. But if there be no degree of power in the refiftent in reference to the agent, then is the action totally vigorous; and if in all the powers, befide that of God, there be not the leaft degree of any refiftance, we must acknowledge that power of his, being above all oppofition, to be infinite. As Jehofaphat faid, In thine hand, O God, is there not power and might, fo that none is able to withstand thee? From hence there is no difficulty with God to perform any thing; no greater endeavour or activity to produce the great.ft than the least of creatures; but an equal facility in reference unto all things; which

2 Chron.xx.

6.

cannot