Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons

Secondly, As the words do imply Authority, so they do imply an Ability. For though a m•n have the power of Authority to do a work, yet if he have not the power of Ability to do it, it is not in the power of his hand to do it. Knowest thou not, said Laban to Jacob, Gen. 31.29. that it is in the power of my hand to do thee hurt; that is, Knowest thou not that I have power, and strength, and ability for to do thee hurt. But,

Thirdly, As the words do imply an Ability, so they do imply Opportunity and Occasion; for though a man have both power of Authority and of Ability to do a work, yet if he have not Opportunity to do it, that work is not in the power of his hand to do. 1 Sam. 10 7. And let it be when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion shall serve. In the Hebrew, as your Margin tells you, it is, as thy hand shall find to do. And if ye look into Scripture, you shall find that a man is said to do that work which he doth occasion, though that work be done by another. See Acts 1.18. It's said of Judas, That he purchased a field with the reward of iniquity. In Mat. 27.3, 5. He brought the thirty pieces of silver to the Priests, and threw them down in the Temple, and departed. If he threw them down in the Temple, and left them with the Priests, how did he purchase the field? Yes, says the interlineary Gloss, Possidit quia possideri fecit, He purchased it, because he did that work which did administer the occasion of this purchase. Look therefore when a ⟨p. 138⟩work is within the compass of our commission, and which we have ability and opportunity to do, then it is truly said to be in the power of our hand, and that is the work which our hand finds to do; So that whatever work, that is, which God doth betrust us with, if we have ability and opportunity to do it, that we are to do with all our might.