Lecture VIII
LECTURE VIII.
ON THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD*.
JER. xxxii. 18, 19.
The Great, the Mighty God; the Lord of Hosts is His Name, great in counsel, and mighty tn work.
Lecr.
1. By belief " in one God," we utterly eradicate the misVU. belief in mauy gods, using it as a weapon against the Greeks, and every opposing power of heretics: and by adding, " in One
God the Father," we oppose those of the circumcision, who deny the Only-begotten Son of God.
For, as I said yesterday, even before we speak plainly concerning our Lord Jesus
Christ, yet by our speaking of God the Father, we have already implied that He is the Father of a Son; that as we understand that God is, so we may understand that He has a Son.
Now we add to this, that He is also " Almighty;" and that, because of Greeks and Jews together, and all heretics.
2. For some of the Greeks have said that God is the soul of the world.
Others again, that His power reaches only to heaven, but not to the earth as well.
And some, going into Ps.36,5.the same error, and perverting the text which says, And Thy
Jaithfulness unto the clouds, have dared to bound God's providence by the limits of the clouds and the heaven, and to despoil God of the things on earth; forgetting that Psalm ae 139, which saith, If I ascend into heaven, Thou art there; if Igo down to hell, Thou art there.
For if nothing is higher than heaven, and if hell is deeper than earth, He who is master of the lower regions, must reach the earth also.
* Els 6, Tlaveongagign, OmnipotenLatin and English versions of the tem, or Almighty, Fiseonting to the Creed.
God has dominion over idolaters, heretics, and the devil.
3. And heretics again, as was said before, acknowledge not One Almighty God.
For He is Almighty, whose might is over all things, who has power over all things.
But they who say that there is one God, the Lord of the soul, and another the Lord of the body, make neither of them perfect, because each lacks what the other has.
For how is he Almighty, who has power over the soul, but not over the body? or how is he
Almighty, who being the Lord of bodies, has no power over spirits? But the Lord confutes these men, saying on the contrary, Rather fear ye Him which ts able to destroy both body Mat.10, and soul in hell: for unless the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ had power over both, how should He subject both to punishment? for how shall He be able to take what is another's, and cast it into hell, except He first bind the strong bade 12, man, and spoil his goods ?
4. But according to Holy Scripture, and the doctrines of (2.) truth, there is but One God, who has dominion over all things by His power, and suffers many things of His will.
For He has dominion even over the idolaters, but He suffers them of His forbearance; and over even the heretics who deny Him, but He suffers them of His patience; over the devil too, but He suffers with him, of His patience, not from want of power, as if foiled.
He is the commencement of the Lord's creation, peta) being made to be mocked, not by Himself, (that were unsuit40, 19. able,) bat by the Angels whom He has made: and He has English permitted him to live, for two objects; that his defeat might increase his infamy, and that men might be crowned.
Allwise providence of God! by which a wicked purpose is converted into a means of salvation for the faithful.
For as He took the unbrotherly purpose of Joseph's brethren as the groundwork of His own scheme, and after suffering them to sell their brother, from hatred, took occasion thereby to give him the kingdom whom He would; so He suffers the devil to wrestle with us, that they who conquer him may be crowned, and that upon the victory, he may have worse shame, as conquered by the weaker, and men greater glory, as conquering one who was once Archangel.
5. Nothing then is excepted from the range of God's power, for Scripture says of Him, For all things serve Thee. ps, 119,
One and all serve Him; yet in this number His One Only*
Goods of this world are really good, only evil in their use.
Lecr. Son, and His One Holy Ghost, are not included ; all things YU. which are His servants, rather serve their Lord through the One Son and in the Holy Ghost.
God therefore has dominion over all things, and endures of His long-suffering even murderers, robbers, and fornicators; having appointed a set eee * day for recompensing every one, that they may incur heavier sentence, if after a longer respite they have still impenitent
John19, hearts.
Earthly rulers are kings of men, yet not so without power from above.
And this Nebuchadnezzar knew by Dan. 4, proof, when he said, His dominion is an everlusting domt34. nion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation.
(3.) 6. Riches, gold and silver, are not, as some think, the devil's reat property; for the whole world of riches is the faithful man's, but not but the unbelieving hath no peace: and nothing is more rescevramoved from faith than the devil. Also God saith plainly by the re ee Prophet, The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine; and his, to drian whomsoever I will give it.
Do thou but use it well, and MS. there will be nothing to condemn in silver; but when thou
"" usest a good thing ill, then, not choosing to blame thy ho *, management of it, thou impiously blamest its Maker.
A man Mat.25, may even be justified by means of opulence.
J was an hun35. gred, and ye gave Me meat; that is, from being opulent; EI was naked, and ye clothed Me ; that is, by being opulent ;
Mat.19, nay, wouldest thou be told that riches may become a door of the kingdom of heaven?
Sell, He says, that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.
7. Now I have made these remarks because of those heretics, who lay possessions, and riches, and the body under a curse: for I wish thee neither to be a slave to riches, nor yet to treat as enemies what is given thee of God to use.
Never then say, that riches are the devil's: for though he say, Mat. 4, All these things will I give Thee, for they are delivered unto ri Lake me, yet one may even deny the assumption; for we must not d believe the lying spirit.
Perhaps however, compelled by the power of His presence, he spake the truth; for he said not,
"* All these things will I give Thee, Becanaa they are mine," but " because they have been delivered unto me."
For he grasped not at the lordship of them, but he professed to have them in a certain sense committed to him, and to dispense
Heretics have denied God's omnipotence.
them.
However, this point concerning his speaking truth or not, deserves consideration of expositors at a fit time'.
8. There is then one God the Father, the Almighty, whom the tribe of heretics have dared to blaspheme; yea, they ears have dared to blaspheme the Lord of Sabaoth, who sitteth above the Cherubim; they have dared to blaspheme the sovereign Lord; they have dared to blaspheme Him who rested on the Prophets, the Almighty God.
But thou, worship One, the Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fly from the error of many Gods; fly from all heresy, and say with Job, J will call upon the Almighty Jovs,s.
Lord, who doeth great things and unsearchable, glorious ® Sept things and marvellous, without number; and For all these Job 37, things, is honour from the Almighty, to whom be glory for 2!
Sep vid. ever and ever.
Alexan.
> The Fathers speak as if the Devil him over it against his Maker seducing 3 were originally the head of that order of man into idolatry,
&c. Vid.
Angels to whom the administration of Orat. Catech. 6. jasil, Hom. BY "10. this world was committed, Onsinning, Damasc. de fid. Orth. ii. 4. Ed. Behe made use of what power was left to ned.