Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/132

128 essence with him, from whom they proceed. These laws are the divine truths of the Holy Word, which together constitute that order, whereby man is to be formed anew, and from which even omnipotence itself cannot swerve. Nay, the divine omnipotence, so far from acting contrary to, or independent of, the Word, uniformly exerts itself by and according to it's laws: and it is this very circumstance, that causes it to be what it really is. The reason why the angels of heaven so far excel the spirits of hell in respect to power, is, because the former act agreeably to order, while the latter are in opposition to it: and in proportion to their love of, and agreement with order, such invariably is their power. Were they to depart from order, their power would depart from them at the same time. Just so, God, being infinite and essential order, is in consequence thereof possessed of infinite and essential power. Were he in any measure to depart from his own order, he would in the same proportion immediately lose his omnipotence. But as to depart from order would be the same thing as to depart from himself, it is evident, that the divine omnipotence can perform nothing but what is consistent with the laws of order, and that every supposition to the contrary is both irrational and absurd.

Every particular thing in nature was created according to it's proper order; and each is formed upon such a principle, as to unite with the common order of the universe. For example; man was created according to his order, and likewise every particular part of man according to it's order; as the head and body according to their orders; the heart, the lungs, the stomach, and other viscera, according to their orders; every organ of motion, every muscle, fibre, and vessel, according to it's order; and every organ of sense, as the eye, the ear, and the tongue,