An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

Secondly, His power of working or effecting that which he commands. Some have a power of commanding, yet want a power of working, they want a power to effect that which they command: but whatsoever God hath a mind to command, he hath an hand to effect and bring it about; he can carry on his work through all the difficulties and deficiencies which it meets with in or by the creature; He can do his wo•k though there be none to help him in it, though all forsake him, and with-draw from his work; yea, he often worketh though there be not so much as an Intercessor to move him to work (Isa. 59.16.) He saw that there was no man (to do any thing) and wondered that there was no Intercessor to entreat him to do somewhat for them. Things were in a great exigency, and there was not only no man that would put forth a hand, but there was no man that would bestow a word for redress, no man would bespeak either God or men for help: What then? must the work stand still or miscarry? no, saith the text, His own arm brought salvation unto him, that is, set it ready at hand for him to bestow upon his people; or, his own arm brought that salvation to his people, which they greatly needed, and he graciously intended, though he had not the contribution of a word towards it from any creature here below, one or other. God alone is self-sufficient, and to man All-sufficient. Such is the working power of God, that he can work, not only when he hath but a little help, but when he hath no help at all.

Secondly, The excellency of the working power of God appears in this, that he can and will produce the desired effect, and bring his work to pass, though many, though all men oppose it and rise up against it, though they set both heart and hand, wit and will, power and policy, to cross, yea to crush it. The Lord is so excellent in power, that he both can and will do his work through ⟨p. 620⟩all opposition; though mountains stand in his way, though rocks stand in his way, he will remove them, or work through them. (