If it be limited, it must be by something independent of him. Whatever limits the power of God, must be greater than God". But God is the only self-existent Being, and the cause of existence to all things else. From which it follows, that nothing can be greater than God: otherwise the effect would be greater than its cause, which is impossible. Hence nothing can limit his power; therefore his power is unlimited: he is Almighty.

Q. State methodically in what this power consists ?

A. There is nothing which it does not comprehend; and words cannot adequately express it. But briefly we would say,

1st. God has power, absolute, independent, infinite power, to call into being whatsoever pleaseth him, in any manner he thinks fit; in an instant, by a word, by a thought '.

2dly. He has dominion over all things so created by him, as their sole, absolute, almighty Lord and Governor '. By means of which power,

3dly. He extends or limits the duration of

P Wollaston's Rel. of Nature, sect. v. § iv.

• Clarke on the Attributes, prop. vii. p. 48.

p. 121.

Isaiah lxiv. 8. Neh. ix. 5, 6. Psal. xxxiii. 6. 8. Acts xvii. 25.

Deut. x. 14. Dan. ii. 21. Rom. xiii. 1.

their existence according to his sovereign will and pleasure: i. e. futurity is in his hands equally with the present time and the past.

Q. Substantiate this doctrine on Scripture authority?

A. "The Lord appeared to Abram, and said, I am the Almighty God." Isaac blessing Jacob, said, "God Almighty bless thee." In St. Paul it is written, "I will be a Father unto you, saith the Lord Almighty." 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty "."

66

Q. Why are we called upon to express our belief in this attribute of the Deity?

A. That we may be excited thereby duly to reverence and properly to serve him. The idea that God's power is boundless and everlasting, and that we are entirely dependent upon it for life, and health, and all things, can scarcely fail to make the deepest impression on our minds, and create an awful feeling of the duty we owe to such a Being *.

Heb. i. 3. James iv. 12-14. Eph. i. 11.

Gen. xvii. 1. xxviii. 3. 2 Cor. vi. 18. Rev. iv. 8. xv. 3. xxi. 22.

- See Eccles. xliii.

"This divine attribute," (of God's omnipotence), says the excellent Barrow, "well deserveth to be pressed upon us.

SECTION IV.

Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Q. What is the next point for our consideration ?

A. To explain the words, " Maker of heaven and earth."

Q. Did these words always form part of the Creed?

A. They are not mentioned by St. Augustine'; they are not cited by Ruffinus"; they are not to be found in the Latin or Greek copies of the Creed published from the manuscripts of Archbishop Usher: but they occur in the early Creed of Irenæus, which we have quoted; and

1st. Because it is frequently in Holy Scripture singled out as most proper to God; as most fully expressive of his glorious excellency and majesty. 2dly. It is that attribute, which is alone most expressly set down in our Creed, as especially necessary to be believed and considered. 3dly. It is that, with which we daily address our devotions unto God: in our prayers we say, Almighty and most merciful Father:' in our praises we cry, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty;' or, which is the same, Lord God of Sabaoth.'" Vol. ii. Serm. XI. p. 154.

'Augustin. de fide a Symbolo. Tom. iii. p. 61.

• Ruffinus. Exposit. in Symb. Apost.

• Usher on the Creed.

also in Tertullian's Creed and Origen's, though not precisely in the same words. This proves that the earliest Christians worshipped God very generally under the title of Maker of heaven and earth. The words were probably introduced into our formulary by St. Cyril of Jerusalem, after the Nicene Council, and confirmed by the Council of Constantinople. Thence we receive them.

Q. What latitude of acceptation should be given to the words heaven and earth?

A. When applied to God, as in this Creed, they include all things visible and invisible, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.

Q. In what sense are we to understand God to be the Maker of all things?.

"Vide p. 22. 24. 26. of this work.

St. Cyril. catech. ix. § 2.

"Post tempora concilii Nicæni omnibus fere Orientis Symbolis hanc partem additam fuisse apparet, quæ etiam recepta et confirmata a Patribus Constantinopolitanis ad omnes tam Occidentis quam Orientis Ecclesias derivabatur. Quibus de causis hæc verba πoinrηv ovρavov, &c., symbolo addita fuerunt, satis apertè in sequentibus nos docet Cyrillus Noster." Thos. Milles. Not. in Cyril. catech. ix. § 2. p. 115, 116.

•« Si mundum dixeris, illic erit et cœlum, et quæ in eo, Sol, et luna, et sidera, et astra, et terra, et freta, et omnis census elementorum. Omnia dixeris, cum id dixeris, quod ex omnibus constat." Tertull. de Virg. Vel. cap. iv. Novatian De Trinitate, cap. 1.

A. We believe, that by the sovereign act of his will, he freely called all things into being from nothing. God said, Let there be light, and there was light." Infinite goodness willed, and infinite power executed. The Almighty was the Great First Cause, and in him cause and effect are simultaneous ".

Q. Prove that it was from nothing God made all things?

A. If it was not from nothing, it was from some original independent atoms, or coeval particles of matter. These atoms or particles were either made, or not made. If they were made, they were made by God; for nothing can create itself. Hence they are dependent on God. But, by our supposition, they are independent of him, which is a contradiction.

Again; if they were not made, they were selfexistent. But we have elsewhere proved God to be the only self-existent Being": which again is a contradiction.

1 Οση γε η δυναμις του Θεού; μονον Αντου το βουλημα, κοσμοποιία. Ψιλῳ τῳ βουλεσθαι δημιουργει, και τῳ μονον εθελησαν αυτόν έπεται τη Yeyεvηolaι. Clements. Alexand. Cohort. ad Gentes. § 4, p. 55,

"This is the admirable power of God, that with him to will is to effect; to determine, is to perform." Pearson on the Creed, art. 1. p. 93.

"See notes to art. 1. sect. 1. p. 42-44 of this work See also Justin Martyr.—Δει γαρ ενα παντων αιτιώτατον είναι, ινα μηδεν εξω θεν περισταν λυμηνηται τα γινόμενα. Exposit. Fid.