and personal perfections, and that, possessing these personal qualities, He is a personal Being. How amazing is this infinite power! Look at the manifestations of it around you. Look at the forces which are at work connected with everything created; in the heavenly bodies, the tides, the seasons; and then imagine, if you can, what must be the power of that personal Divinity who formed, and by His will maintains, all things as they are. That power which gave birth and energy, and direction, to these wonderful forces, must be Omnipotence. Upon that infinite power all created agencies repose securely; and if the Christian can rest there, he, too, will dwell in safety. I add, moreover, that the power in question—the power of God -must be Omnipresent. No one need ascend to heaven, or descend into the deep, with the idea of seeking God, of finding God, of enjoying God, of anticipating some interposition from God, or to receive from God whatever He stands pledged to bestow. "If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in hell (hades), behold Thou art there; if I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.” I would say, further, that the power of God is an active power. There is a difference betwixt potentiality and a living power. The power of God is not simply potentiality, not a mere capacity to do this, or to accomplish the other. God lives, as we think, in the universe, above all, through all, and in all. I entertain the idea or notion that all the moral attributes or perfections of Divinity are living verities and realities extending through the whole created worlds, that God touches all bodies and everything, that all must bow to His omnipotence, enjoying his protection and blessing, or otherwise submitting to His justice and suffering His malediction. We shall have to touch upon

this by-and-by in another connection; but the idea which I wish to throw out is, that God is a living God, and all that belongs to His omnipotence is in constant exercise, whether in heaven, on earth, or in hell; developing itself in heaven in glory and love; on earth, through that mixed economy under which we live; and in hell, in rigour and terrible judgments. Then, on our principles, you see, the power of God is sovereign, and, in the sense of sovereignty, is irresistible. But I wish to use the term sovereign now in another sense-namely, as competent to accomplish whatever the Divine will chooses. Whatever this Divine will chooses cannot be successfully opposed by any counterinfluence or counter-power of any description whatever. I think history will present, as it flows along, abundant proofs of this irresistible power. Look at the wonderful combinations which have been formed on earth. But what of Egypt, of Nineveh, of Babylon, of Greece, of Rome? Here we see combinations of power of the most majestic description-but where are they now? They are lying upon the stream of time, like ships wrecked upon a barren coast. It follows, therefore, that these combinations of power have been met, and resisted, and overcome, by another power much greater than themselves. Remark, moreover, that the power of God is an infinitely intelligent power. In the order of thought we should say that the intelligence of the Deity judges of the propriety of everything first, and then the Divine will, and sovereignty, and grace, operate upon that intelligent perception of what is true and right. You know there may be a blind power, which rushes to results without thoughtfulness, without good calculations, and without foreseeing the issue. We often see this in men, and bodies of men, but it cannot be so with God. God judges of everything; He must judge truly; His will moves upon that judgment; and, conse

quently, when He bestows blessings by the exercise of His power, those blessings are bestowed in connection with equally infinite intelligence. He never mistakes a person —his experience, his wants, dangers, circumstances of existence, or whatever may fall under the notion of casualty, accident, or contingency; but can meet everything by the exercise of His perfect judgment, and, I should say, foreknowledge.

There is a second idea which I wish to bring before your attention; it is this, that the power in question-the power of God-works economically; that is to say, in the economy of our Christianity. We have been considering it in its abstract qualities rather than otherwise; but now let us look at the power of God as exercised in the economy of our religion, because we have a great deal to do with that. And I should say, first of all, that, it is a power of grace, because the Christian economy is a system of grace. We are saved by God—we are saved by grace. Now, what a consolation it appears, that the grace by which we are saved is connected with a power which is infinite, and can reach and accomplish every object. If you look, for instance, at the guilt of a man, you will see at once that it will require a sovereignty of grace to reach and pardon that guilt. There does exist such a sovereignty of grace, and God being the author of our salvation, can, by that sovereignty, reach the condition of every guilty sinner. So far as one can perceive, it can be of no importance, legally, how fallen, how guilty, how depraved, how far off, how miserable, how ruined a soul may be, for if the salvation of that soul depends upon the sovereignty of God, that sovereignty can reach his condition, and rescue him from that ruin. Or, if you choose to consider sin not as guilt, but as moral pollution; as a depravity; as the obliteration of the Divine image; as the forfeiture of all

internal righteousness; as the lack of good principles, and the predominance of bad ones; and if you consider salvation to consist in the regeneration of that soul, you will see upon our principles how practicable it is. We are, indeed, sadly fallen; but, then, if we are saved by grace, that is, if we are saved by God, you will instantly see that it is possible for the most depraved spirit to be renewed and brought into the highest state of holiness and happiness, inasmuch as the operator is God. Now, the apostle Paul says expressly, that Christ is not only "the wisdom of God," but "the power of God." I understand by that expression that Christ, in his character of Redeemer, Mediator, and the Author of the Christian religion, embraces in himself, not only infinite wisdom to direct, but a power equally sufficient to accomplish, whatever the Gospel dispensation proposes to do. Christ is "the power of God," and embraces, consequently, all the fulness of Divine grace in his economy for the benefit and happiness of mankind. This power works according to the truth, and, I should say, in connection with the truth. Is there anything in the New Testament besides its verbal lessons? I think there is. I think, besides those verbal lessons, there is a power to bring about and accomplish whatever the truth teaches, or the promises of God hold out. The truth of God, you know, gives its lessons as to love, as to joy, as to hope, as to purity, as to holiness, as to patience, as to submission, as to spiritual affection, as to heavenlymindedness; in fact, I see in the Word of God what I ought to be; but then I ask myself this question, How can I become what is so desirable and necessary? How can I become a saint? I look to the Gospel, and there I see something besides instruction; there is a power of God to give reality to those teachings. No one need, as we think, fall short of attaining that character, because, behind the

teaching, there is an omnipotent influence to give effect to every lesson, and to communicate every blessing to the believing soul. One principle alone will lead to thisnamely, that the agency at work in the Christian economy is the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is God, and if the Holy Ghost connects himself with the truth, with the sacraments and ordinances, and worship of the House of God, it follows, as a matter of course, that we have the Divinity living amongst us, by the Spirit's unction and power, to give effect to everything which the Gospel enjoins. I do not look upon our religion as a class of empty forms. We have the Sabbath, but we have God living specifically in the Sabbath. We have the worship of His house, but we have His presence crowning that worship. We have the song of praise, the liturgy, and prayer; we preach and hear the doctrines of His word; but have we nothing else? Yes; we have the Holy Ghost, the promised Comforter, who is in the midst of all, to give vitality and life to every part of this Divine economy. I as much believe in the power of God present with us this morning, to do for us whatever He has promised and our faith embraces, as I believe in the presence of the same power in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples met together to seek the accomplishment of the promise of His coming. There is a state of heart which can never recognise God, though He is present; and there is another state of heart which always meets him, sees him, feels him, enjoys him, tastes his love, expatiates in his smile and favour.

We remark, in the third place, that, as regards ourselves, the power of God, by which we are established in religion, works morally-I mean that the power of God-of truth, grace, and Divine influence-does not operate against, but in concurrence with, the intellect and the mind. A man