Chapter 3. Of Acting Our Faith on the Almighty Power of God

THe third Branch follows, which contains an encouraging Amplification annexed to the exhortation in these words; And in the Power of his might, where a twofold enquiry is requisite for the explication of the phrase. First, what these words import, The Power of his might? Secondly, what it is to be strong in the Power of his might?

For the first, the Power of his might: It is an Hebraism, & imports nothing but his mighty Power; like that phrase, Ephesians 1:6. To the praise of the glory of his grace, that is, to the praise of his glorious grace. And his mighty Power imports no lesse then his Almighty Power; sometimes the Lord is stiled mighty and strong, as Psalms 24:8. sometimes most mighty, sometimes Almighty, no lesse is meant in all, then Gods infinite Almighty Power.

For the second, to be strong in the mighty Power, or Power of the Lords might, implies these two acts of faith.

First, a setled firme perswasion, that the Lord is Almighty in Power. Be strong in the Power of his might, that is, be strongly rooted in your faith, concerning this one foundation-truth, that God is Almighty.

Secondly, it implies a further act of faith, not only to believe, that God is Almighty, but also that this Almighty Power of God is engaged for its defense: so as to bear up in the midst of all trials and temptations undauntedly, leaning on the arme of God Almighty, as if it were his own strength; for that is the Apostles drift, as to beat us off from leaning on our own strength, so to encourage the Christian to make use of Gods Almighty Power, as freely as if it were his own; when ever assaulted by Satan in any kinde. As a man set upon by a thief, stirs up all the force and strength he has in his whole body to defend himself and offend his adversary; so the Apostle bids the Christian be strong in the Lord, and in the Power of his might, that is, Soul, away to your God, whose mighty Power is all intended and devoted by God himself for your succour and defense. Go strengthen and entrench your selfe in it by a stedfast faith, as that which shall be laid out to the utmost for your good. From whence these two Notes, I conceive, will draw out the fatnesse of the words.

1. That it should be the Christians great care and endeavour in all temptations and trials, to strengthen his faith on the Almighty Power of God.

2. The Christians duty and care is not only to believe that God is Almighty, but strongly by faith to rest on this Almighty Power of God, as engaged for his help and succour in all his trials and temptations.

First, it should be the Christians great care in all temptations and trials, to strengthen his faith on the Almighty Power of God. When God holds forth himselfe as an object of the souls trust and confidence in any great strait or undertaking; commonly this attribute of his Almighty power is presented in the promise, as the surest hold fast for faith to lay hold on; as a Father in rugged way, gives his child his arme to lay hold by, so does God usually reach forth his Almighty power for his Saints, to exercise their faith on. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose faith God tried above most of his Saints before or since, for not one of those great things which were promised to them, did they live to see performed in their days; and how does God make known himself to them for their support, but by displaying this Attribute? Exodus 6:3. I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty. This was all they had to keep house with all their days: with which they lived comfortably, and died triumphantly, bequeathing the promise to their children, not doubting (because God Almighty had promised) of the performance. Thus, Isa. 26. where great mercies are promised to Judah, and a Song penn'd before-hand to be sung on that gaudie day of their salvation: yet because there was a sharp Winter of Captivity to come between the Promise, and the Spring-time of the promise; therefore to keep their faith alive in this space, the Prophet calls them up to act their faith on God Almighty, v. 4. Trust ye in the Lord Jehovah, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. So when his Saints are going into the furnace of persecution, what now does he direct their faith to carry to prison, to stake with them but this Almighty power? 1 Peter 4:19. Let them that suffer, commit the keeping of their souls to him, as to a faithful Creatour Creatour is a name of Almighty Power, we shall now give some. Reasons of the Point.

Reas. 1 First, because it is no easie work to make use of this truth, (how plain and clear soever it now appears,) in great plunges of temptation, that God is Almighty; To vindicate this Name of God from those evil reports, which Satan and carnal Reason raise against it, requires a strong faith indeed. I confesse this principle is a piece of natural divinity; That light which finds out a Deity, will evince (if followed close) this God to be Almighty; yet in a carnal heart, it is like a rusty sword, hardly drawn out of the scabbard, and so of little or no use. Such truths are so imprisoned in natural conscience, that they seldome get a faire hearing in the sinners bosome, till God gives them a Goal-delivery, and brings them out of their house of bondage, where they are shut up in unrighteousnesse with a high hand of his convincing Spirit. Then and not till then the soul will believe God is holy, merciful, Almighty; nay, some of Gods peculiar people, and not the meanest for grace amongst them, have had their faith for a time set in this slough, much ado to get over those difficulties and improbabilities, which sense and Reason have objected, so as to relie on the Almighty Power of God, with a notwithstanding. Moses himself, a starre of the first magnitude for grace, yet see how his faith blinks and twinkles, till he wades out of the temptation, Numb. 11.21. The people among whom I am are six hundred thousand, and you have said, I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole moneth, shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? This holy man had lost the sight for a time of the Almighty Power of God, and now he is projecting how this should be done; as if he had said in plain termes, How can this be accomplished? for so God interprets his reasoning, v. 23, And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lords hand waxed short? So Mary, John 11:32. Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died. And her Sister Martha, v. 39. Lord, by this time he stinks. Both gracious women, yet both betrayed the weakness of their faith on the Almighty Power of Christ, one limiting him to place; If you had been here he had not died; as if Christ could not have saved his life absent as well as present, sent his health to him as well as brought it with him. The other to time, Now he stinks. As if Christ had brought his Physick too late, and the grave would not deliver up its prisoner at Christs command; and have you such an high opinion of your self, Christian, that your faith needs not your utmost care and endeavour for further establishment on the Almighty Power of God, when you seest such as these dash their foot against this kinde of temptation?

The second Reason may be taken from the absolute necessity of this act of faith above others, to support the Christian in the hour of temptation. All the Christians strength and comfort is fetched without doors, and he has none to send of his errand but faith; This goes to heaven and knocks God up, as he in the parable, his neighbor at midnight for bread: Therefore when faith failes, and the soul has none to go to market for supplies, there must needs be a poor house kept in the meane time. Now faith is never quite laid up, till the soul denies, or at least questions the Power of God. Indeed, when the Christian disputes the Will of God, whispering within its own bosome, will he pardon? will he save? this may make faith go haltingly to the throne of grace, but not knock the soul off from seeking the face of God: even then faith on the Power of God, will bear it company there: If you will, you can make me clean; if you will, you can pardon, you can purge: But when the soul concludes he cannot pardon, cannot save, this shoots faith to the heart, so that the soul falls at the foot of Satan, not able more to resist. Now it growes listlesse to duty, indifferent whether it pray or not, as one that sees the Well dry, breaks or throwes away his Pitcher.

Reas. 3 Thirdly, because God is very tender of this flower of his Crown, this part of his Name: Indeed we cannot spell it right and leave out this letter; for that is Gods Name, whereby he is known from all his creatures. Now man may be called wise, merciful, mighty: God only all-wise, all-merciful, Almighty; so that when we leave out this syllable All, we nick-name God, and call him by his creatures name, which he will not answer to. Now the tenderness that God shows to this Prerogative of his, appears in three particulars.

First, in the strict command he layes on his people, to give him the glory of his power, Isa. 8. 12, 13. Feare ye not their feare, but sanctifie the Lord of hostes himself: that is, in this sad posture of your affaires, when your enemies associate, and you seem a lost people to the eye of Reason, not able to contest with such united Powers, which beset you on every side: Now I charge you sanctifie me in giving me the glory of my Almighty Power; believe that your God is able of himself, without any other, to defend you, and destroy them.

Secondly, in his severity to his dearest children, when they stagger in their faith, and come not off roundly (without reasoning and disputing the case) to relie on his Almighty Power: Zacharias did but ask the Angel, How shall I know this, because I am an old man, and my wife stricken in years; yet for bewraying therein his unbelief, had a signe indeed given him, but such a one as did not only strengthen his faith, but severely punish his unbelief, for he was struck dumb upon the place. God loves his children should believe his Word, not dispute his power; so true is that of Luther, Deus amat curristas nonquaeristas. That which gave accent to Abrahams faith, Romans 4:21. was that he was fully perswaded, that what God had promised, he was able to performe.

Thirdly, in the way God takes of giving his choicest mercies, and greatest salvations to his people, wherein he layes the scene of his Providence so, that when he has done, it may be said Almighty Power was here. And therefore God commonly puts down those means and second causes, which if they stood about his work, would blinde and hinder the full prospect thereof in effecting the same, 2 Corinthians 1:9. We received the sentence of death in our selves, that we might not trust in our selves, but in God which raiss the dead. Christ stayed while Lazarus was dead, that he might draw the eyes of their faith more singly to look on his power, by raising his dead friend, rather than curing him being sick, which would not have carried so full a conviction of Almightinesse with it. Yea, he suffers a contrary power many times to arise in that very juncture of time, when he intends the mercy to his people, that he may reare up the more magnificent pillar of remembrance to his own power, in the ruine of that which contests with him. Had God brought Israel out of Egypt in the time of those Kings which knew Joseph, most likely they might have had a friendly departure and an easie deliverance, but God reserves this for the reigne of that proud Pharaoh, who shall cruelly oppress them, and venture his Kingdom, but he will satisfie his lust upon them. And why must this be the time? but that God would bring them forth with a stretched-out arme: The magnifying of his power was Gods great designe, Exodus 9:16. In very deed for this cause have I raised you up, to show in you my power, and that my Name may be declared throughout the earth.

Fourthly, in the prevalency which an argument that is pressed from his Almighty Power has with God. It was the last string Moses had to his bowe, when he begg'd the life of Israel, Numb, 14.16. The Nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able, &c. And, v. 17. Let the Power of my Lord be great; And with this he has their pardon thrown him,

The Application of this Point will fall in under the next, which is

The third part of the text follows, which contains an encouraging expansion attached to the exhortation in these words: "And in the power of His might." Two questions need to be answered to understand this phrase. First, what do the words "the power of His might" mean? Second, what does it mean to be strong in the power of His might?

For the first: "the power of His might" is a Hebrew idiom meaning simply His mighty power — similar to the phrase in Ephesians 1:6, "to the praise of the glory of His grace," which means to the praise of His glorious grace. "His mighty power" means nothing less than His almighty power. Sometimes the Lord is called mighty and strong (Psalm 24:8), sometimes most mighty, sometimes Almighty — in every case, what is meant is God's infinite, almighty power.

For the second: to be strong in the mighty power, or power of the Lord's might, involves two acts of faith.

First, a settled, firm conviction that the Lord is almighty in power. "Be strong in the power of His might" means: be deeply rooted in your faith concerning this foundational truth — that God is almighty.

Second, it involves a further act of faith: not only to believe that God is almighty, but also to believe that this almighty power is committed to your defense. This means bearing up undauntedly in the midst of all trials and temptations, leaning on the arm of God Almighty as though it were your own strength. That is the apostle's purpose here — both to drive us off from leaning on our own strength, and to encourage the Christian to draw on God's almighty power as freely as if it were his own whenever he is attacked by Satan in any form. Just as a man set upon by a thief summons all the force and strength in his body to defend himself and strike back at his attacker, so the apostle urges the Christian to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might — as if to say: Soul, run to your God, whose mighty power is entirely intended and devoted by God Himself for your help and defense. Go and strengthen yourself in it by steady faith, as that which will be spent to the utmost for your good. From this, I believe two principles will draw out the richness of these words.

First: It should be the Christian's great care and effort in all temptations and trials to strengthen his faith on the almighty power of God.

Second: The Christian's duty and care is not only to believe that God is almighty, but to rest firmly by faith on this almighty power of God as engaged for his help and support in all his trials and temptations.

First principle developed: It should be the Christian's great care in all temptations and trials to strengthen his faith on the almighty power of God. When God holds Himself out as the object of the soul's trust and confidence in any great crisis or undertaking, He typically presents this attribute of His almighty power in the promise, as the surest grip for faith to hold on to. Just as a father on a rough road gives his child his arm to hold, so God customarily reaches out His almighty power for His saints to exercise their faith upon. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had their faith tested by God more than almost any of His saints before or since — not one of the great things promised to them did they live to see fulfilled in their lifetime. And how did God make Himself known to them for their support? By displaying this very attribute. "I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty" (Exodus 6:3). This was all they had to live on throughout their days — and with it they lived comfortably and died triumphantly, leaving the promise to their children without doubting — because God Almighty had given His word — that it would be fulfilled. Similarly in Isaiah 26, great mercies are promised to Judah and a song is written in advance to be sung on that glad day of their salvation. But because a sharp winter of captivity lay between the promise and the springtime of its fulfillment, the prophet calls them to exercise their faith on God Almighty in the meantime. Verse 4: "Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord we have an everlasting Rock." Likewise, when His saints are going into the furnace of persecution, what does He direct their faith to carry with them into prison? This same almighty power. "Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator" (1 Peter 4:19) — "Creator" being a name of almighty power. We will now give some reasons for this point.

First reason: Because it is no easy work — however plain and clear this truth may now appear — to actually make use of it in the deepest moments of temptation. To vindicate God's name from the evil reports that Satan and carnal reason raise against it in such moments requires a strong faith indeed. I grant that this principle is part of natural theology — the same light that discovers a Deity will, if followed carefully, establish that this God is almighty. But in a carnal heart, this truth is like a rusty sword, barely drawable from the scabbard and therefore of little use. Such truths are so imprisoned in natural conscience that they rarely get a fair hearing in the sinner's heart until God sets them free and brings them out of their prison house — where they are locked up under the power of unrighteousness — by the mighty work of His convincing Spirit. Then, and not until then, will the soul truly believe that God is holy, merciful, and almighty. In fact, some of God's own dear people — and not the least gracious among them — have at times had their faith stuck in this swamp, struggling to get past the difficulties and improbabilities that sense and reason throw in the way, and to rest on God's almighty power in spite of them. Moses himself, a star of the first magnitude in grace, see how his faith flickers and dims until he wrestles through the temptation: "The people among whom I am are 600,000 on foot, and You have said, 'I will give them meat that they may eat for a whole month.' Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them?" (Numbers 11:21). This holy man had for a time lost sight of God's almighty power and was wondering how this could be done — as if to say in plain terms, "How can this possibly happen?" God understood what Moses was really expressing, and answered in verse 23: "Is the Lord's power limited?" Consider also Mary in John 11:32: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." And her sister Martha in verse 39: "Lord, by this time there will be a stench." Both were godly women, yet both betrayed the weakness of their faith in Christ's almighty power. Mary limited Him by place — "If You had been here" — as if Christ could not have preserved his life from a distance as well as in person, or could not have sent healing to him as well as brought it Himself. Martha limited Him by time — "By now he stinks" — as if Christ had arrived with His remedy too late and the grave would not release its prisoner at His command. And do you think so highly of yourself, Christian, that your faith needs no careful effort for further grounding in God's almighty power — when you see even people like these stumble over this very kind of temptation?

Second reason: Because this act of faith, above all others, is absolutely necessary to sustain the Christian in the hour of temptation. All the Christian's strength and comfort must be fetched from outside himself, and he has nothing to send on that errand but faith. Faith goes to heaven and knocks God up — like the man in the parable who knocked on his neighbor's door at midnight for bread. Therefore when faith fails and the soul has nothing to go to market for supplies, the household must suffer in the meantime. Now faith is never fully laid aside until the soul denies or at least questions the power of God. When the Christian disputes God's will — whispering to himself, "Will He pardon? Will He save?" — this may make faith hobble toward the throne of grace, but it will not knock the soul off from seeking God's face. Even then, faith in God's power will accompany the soul there: "If You are willing, You can make me clean; if You are willing, You can pardon, You can purge." But when the soul concludes that God cannot pardon, cannot save — that is a shot through the heart of faith. The soul then falls at Satan's feet, no longer able to resist. It grows indifferent to duty, careless whether it prays or not — like a person who finds the well dry and throws away his bucket.

Third reason: Because God is very protective of this jewel in His crown — this aspect of His name. We cannot spell His name correctly and leave out this letter, for it is that very name by which He is distinguished from all His creatures. A man may be called wise, merciful, mighty — but God alone is all-wise, all-merciful, Almighty. So when we drop the word "all," we mislabel God and call Him by a creature's name, which He will not answer to. God's protectiveness of this prerogative appears in three particulars.

First, in the strict command He lays on His people to give Him the glory of His power: "You are not to say, 'It is a conspiracy!' ... It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy" (Isaiah 8:12-13). That is to say: in this desperate condition, when your enemies are joining forces and you appear to reason's eye as a people who are lost, unable to contest with such united powers surrounding you on every side — now I charge you: honor Me by giving Me the glory of My almighty power. Believe that your God is able, by Himself alone and without any other help, to defend you and destroy them.

Second, in His severity toward His dearest children when they waver in their faith and do not come promptly — without reasoning and debating — to rest on His almighty power. Zechariah only asked the angel, "How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years" — yet for revealing his unbelief he was given a sign indeed, but one that not only strengthened his faith but severely punished his unbelief, for he was struck mute on the spot. God loves His children to believe His Word, not to debate His power — as Luther truly said, "God loves those who run to Him, not those who question Him." What gave power to Abraham's faith in Romans 4:21 was that "he was fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform."

Third, in the way God chooses to deliver His choicest mercies and greatest acts of salvation to His people. He arranges the scene of His providence so that when it is over, it is unmistakably clear that almighty power was at work. To this end, God commonly removes the means and secondary causes that, if left standing around His work, would obscure and block the full view of what He has done. "We had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead" (2 Corinthians 1:9). Christ waited while Lazarus was dead so that He might draw the eyes of their faith more directly to His power — raising a dead man rather than healing a sick one, since the former carried a far fuller proof of almightiness. Indeed, God often allows a contrary power to rise up at the very moment He intends to act mercifully toward His people, so that He may raise a more magnificent monument to His own power in the ruin of whatever opposes Him. Had God brought Israel out of Egypt under the kings who knew Joseph, they might well have had a friendly departure and an easy deliverance. But God reserved this for the reign of that proud Pharaoh, who cruelly oppressed them and would stake his kingdom rather than satisfy God's purpose for them. And why must it happen this way? So that God would bring them out with an outstretched arm. The magnifying of His power was God's great design: "But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth" (Exodus 9:16).

Fourth, in the effectiveness of an argument pressed from God's almighty power when brought before God Himself in prayer. This was the last arrow Moses had in his quiver when he pleaded for the life of Israel: "If You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, 'Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them...'" (Numbers 14:16). And in verse 17: "But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great." With this argument Moses received their pardon.

The application of this point will follow under the next, which is: