children of your Father, which is in heaven." Verse 48, "Be not overcome of evil."

ON THE DOMINION OF GOD.

The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all.-Ps. ciii. 19.

"THE Lord hath prepared;" the word signifies established, as well as prepared. Due preparation is a natural way to the establishment of a thing. Hasty resolves break and moulder. This notes,

The infinity of his authority. He prepares it, none else for him. Readiness to exercise it upon due occasions. He hath prepared his throne; he hath all things ready for the assistance of his people. Wise management of it; it is prepared: preparations imply prudence; the government of God is not a rash and heady authority. Successfulness and duration: he hath prepared, or established. It is fixed, not tottering; it is an immoveable dominion, all the struggles of men and devils cannot overturn, nor so much as shake it. As his counsel, so his authority shall stand, and "he will do all his pleasure." Isa. xlvi. 10.

"His throne in the heavens." This is an expression to signify the authority of God; for as God hath no member properly, though he be so represented to us, so he hath properly no throne. It signifies his power of reigning and judging.

"His throne in the heavens," notes, "The glory of his dominion." The heavens are the most stately and comely pieces of the creation; his majesty is there most visible, his glory most splendid. (Ps, xix.1.) The heavens speak out with a full mouth

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his glory; it is therefore called, “The habitation of his holiness and of his glory." (Isa. Ixiii. 15.) The supremacy of his empire; they are elevated above all earthly empires. Peculiarly of this dominion; he rules in the heavens alone. The vastness of his empire; the earth is but a spot to the heavens. The easiness of managing this government; his being in the heavens renders him capable of doing whatsoever he pleases. (Ps. cxv. 3.) Duration of it; the heavens are incorruptible. His kingdom rules over all; he hath an absolute right over all things, within the circuit of heaven and earth. 1 Chron. xxix. 11, 12.

Jehovah's dominion is here proclaimed as universal. A dominion over the whole world.

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I. I shall state some general propositions for the clearing and confirming this glorious fact.

1. We must know the difference between the power of God and his authority. We commonly mean, by the power of God, the strength of God, whereby he is able to effect all his purposes. By the authority of God, we mean the right he hath to act what he pleases. Among men, strength and authority are two distinct things. A subject may be a giant, and be stronger than his prince, but he hath not the same authority. Worldly dominion may be seated, not in a brawny arm, but a sickly and infirm body. A greater strength may be settled in the servant, but a greater authority resides in the master. As God is Lord, he hath a right to enact; as he is almighty, he hath a power to execute. His strength is the executive power belonging to his dominion.

2. All the other attributes of God refer to this perfection of dominion. His goodness fits him for it, because he can never use his authority but for the good

of the creatures. His wisdom can never be mistaken in the exercise of it; his power can accomplish the decrees that flow from his absolute authority. Without this dominion, some perfections, as justice and mercy, would lie in obscurity, and much of his wisdom would be hid from our sight.

3. This of dominion, as well as that of power, hath been acknowledged by all. The high-priest was to wave the offering, or shake it to and fro, (Ex. xxix. 24.) which, the Jews say, was customary from east to west, and from north to south, the four quarters of the world, to signify God's sovereignty over all the parts of the world. And some of the heathens, in their adorations, turned their bodies to all quarters, to signify the extensive dominion of God throughout the whole earth. It is stamped upon the conscience of man, and flashes in his face in every act of self-judgment.

4. This notion of sovereignty is inseparable from the notion of God. To acknowledge the existence of a God, and to acknowledge him a rewarder, are linked together. (Heb. xi. 6.) To acknowledge him a rewarder, is to acknowledge him a governor: rewards being the marks of dominion. We cannot suppose God a creator, without supposing a sovereign dominion in him. No creature can be made without some law in its nature; if it had not law, it would be created to no purpose. It is so inseparable, that it cannot be communicated to any creature. No creature is able to exercise it, every creature is unable to perform all the offices that belong to this dominion.

II. Wherein the dominion of God is founded. 1. On the excellency of his nature. God being an incomprehensible occan of all perfection, and possessing infinitely all those virtues that may lay a claim to

dominion, hath the first foundation of it in his own nature. On this account God claims our obedience. (Isa. xlvi. 9.) “I am God, and there is none like me :" and the prophet Jeremiah on the same account acknowledgeth it, (Jer. x. 6, 7.) "Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee."

2. In his act of creation. He is the sovereign Lord, as he is the almighty Creator. The relation of an entire creator induceth the relation of an absolute Lord. His dominion of jurisdiction results from creation. When God himself makes an oration in defence of his sovereignty, (Job xxxviii.) his chief arguments are drawn from creation, and Ps. xcv. 3—5. "The Lord is a great king above all gods." And so the apostle. As he "made the world and all things therein," he is styled, Lord of heaven and earth. (Acts xvii. 24.) His dominion also of property stands upon this basis. (Ps. lxxxix. 11.) "The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine." On this title of forming Israel as a creature, or rather as a church, he demands their service to him as their sovereign. "O Jacob and Israel, thou art my servant, I have formed thee." Isa. xliv. 21.

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3. As God is the final cause, or end of all, he is lord of all." God in his actual creation of all, is the sovereign end of all, "for thy pleasure they are and were created." (Rev. iv. 11.) "The Lord hath made

all things for himself." Prov. xvi. 4.

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4. The dominion of God is founded upon his preservation of things." (Ps. xcv. 3, 4.) The Lord is a great king above all gods. Why? In his hand are all the deep places of the earth. While his hand holds things, his hand hath a dominion over them. The master of this great family may as well be called the Lord of it, since every member of it depends upon him

for the support of that being, he first gave them. As the right to govern resulted from creation, so it is perpetuated by preservation.

5. The dominion of God is strengthened by the innumerable benefits he bestows upon his creatures. The beneficence of God adds, though not an original right of power, yet a foundation of a stronger upbraiding the creature, if he walk in a violation and forgetfulness of those benefits. (Isa. i. 2.) “ Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth!" Thus the fundamental right as creator is made more indisputable by his relation as benefactor. The benefits of God are innumerable. But that benefit of redemption doth add a stronger right of dominion to God; since he not only as a creator gave being, but paid a price of his Son's blood for their rescue from captivity, so that he bath a sovereignty of grace as well as nature. (1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.) "Ye are not your own."

III. The nature of this dominion.

1. This dominion is independent. His throne is in the heavens; the heavens depend not upon the earth, nor God upon his creaturcs. Since he is independent in regard of his essence, he is so in his dominion, which flows from the excellency and fulness of his essence.

2. Absolute. If his throne be in the heavens, there is nothing to control him. His authority is unlimited.

1. Absolute in regard of freedom and liberty. Thus creation is a work of mere sovereignty; he created, because it was his pleasure to create. Preservation is the fruit of his sovereignty. Redemption is a fruit of his sovereignty.

2. His dominion is absolute in regard of unlimitedness by any law without him. He is an absolute monarch, that makes laws for his subjects, but receives