may have the inestimable benefits of his continual

intercession with the Father.

ART. VI.-SEC. 3. "Of God the Father
Almighty."

The last words of this section were not in the very ancient creeds: and it may be observed that the term is here Tavтoduvaμoç, signifying power in operation; whereas, in the first article, it is παντοκρατωρ, implying authority of dominion.

God's power may be considered as to its propriety and universality; the propriety in the potency, the universality in the omnipotency. The potency consists in a proper, innate force, by which he is able to produce real and true effects; and because this power cannot have any possible impediment or resistance, therefore it is almighty; and He, to whom all things are possible, and to whom nothing is impossible, is properly omnipotent.

Now God is Almighty-1st, because all power in the creature is derived from Him, the Creator; and hence He is the fountain of all might, and the source of every power in the universe: 2nd, because nothing can resist or oppose His will, in the least; hence all things are equally facile to Him, who has an infinite excess of power beyond all resistance :

3rd, because of the infinite extension of his power reaching to the execution of all things imaginably possible.

God's omnipotency, however, cannot effect those things which involve in themselves a manifest contradiction: e. g. He cannot make that not to have been which hath already been. Neither can He effect those things which are incongruous with His divine perfections; e. g. God cannot lie; and cannot be deceived: thus God is omnipotent, and God only.

But God the Father, as such, is not the only Almighty; for so is God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost; each of them possesses infinite power as God. The Father, therefore, is not here called Almighty by way of exclusion; but to shew that Christ, being at the right hand of God, is invested with greater power than he exercised before.

The belief of God's omnipotency, is necessary to impress us with fear and reverence for his infinite Majesty to confirm our faith; for otherwise we could not believe miracles, or rather there could not have been any if He were not omnipotent; but since He is so, why should we disbelieve any thing He propounds? It is also necessary to promote a sure rust in His promises, who cannot lie nor be de

ed, nor prevented; and lastly, to give life to our

prayers and devotions to Him who can give us all things we ask.

Recapitulation. I believe that Jesus Christ ascended into the highest heavens, after all His sufferings for our redemption, and sat down on the throne of God, in virtue of His office of mediator, as our judge and king; which last office shall continue to Him for ever: that the right hand of God signifieth absolute power to do all things that do not imply a contradiction, either in themselves, or in relation to His perfections.

And thus 'I believe in Jesus

Christ, who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

CHAPTER VII.

ARTICLE VII.

"From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."

THIS article containeth four propositions-1st., that Christ shall come again; 2nd., that He shall come from heaven; 3rd., that He shall come to exercise the office of judge; 4th., that the objects of that judgment will be, all who have ever lived, or are then alive, upon earth.

That the Messias was to have a second advent, is abundantly evident from Scripture, in which Christ's glorious advent is as often predicted, as His humiliating and suffering one; e. g. Daniel says, (vii. 13, 14.) "I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him before him. And there was given him dominion and glory; and a kingdom; that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not

pass away." The Jews themselves confessed, that this Son of Man meant the Messias, and that the words were descriptive of His coming. But they make it void by a subsequent false interpretation; saying, if the Jews continued wicked, the Messias should come in humility, as Zachariah prophesied, (ix. 9.) “lowly, and riding upon an ass." But these are two several predictions, and must be severally fulfilled. The first indeed, Christ's humiliating advent, (as we have shewn) has taken place; and His glorious one is to follow. Of this we have the testimony both of angels, of prophecy, and of Christ himself. "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven *." "If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself +." "Behold He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced Him ‡.”

The place from whence He is to come, is that whither He ascended, viz. from the heaven of heavens; the right hand of power, where the last article mentioned Him as sitting in the fulness of majesty. The end of His coming is, to judge the quick and the dead.

* Acts i. 11.

+ John xiv. 3.

Rev. i. 7.