June 12

"I am the Almighty God." — Genesis 17:1.

So said God to Abraham. What an extraordinary character was he who is called, by way of eminence, "the father of the faithful!" He honored God by the strength of his faith, and God honored him by the manifestations of his favor. In the consideration of this interesting passage, let us here remark

WHAT GOD IS. "I am the Almighty God." God is made known by a variety of names and titles; the one before us is very encouraging to his friends, but very terrific to his enemies. While he is Almighty to reward the one, he is Almighty to punish the other. The Hebrew word is El-shaddai, which is translated in our old English version, "I am God all-sufficient." This name of God includes

The unlimited extent of his power. We have innumerable evidences of this, in the various works of nature, from the mightiest to the meanest; in the diversified operations of his providence, extending to everything that he has made;

and in the sovereign displays of his grace, which gladden the hearts of his people; but these are only "the hidings of his power." Who can estimate what the full development of it would be?

The universal dominion of his providence. It extends to the highest heavens, over angelic hosts, and redeemed spirits, to the farthest boundaries of the world; over all its inhabitants, rational and irrational; and to the most distant corner of hell, over devils and lost spirits.

The rich abundance of his resources. He is God Almighty, or God all-sufficient and enough. He is so in himself; holy, happy, and blessed, independently of any of the beings whom he has made; and he has a sufficiency for us. There is enough in him to supply every other defect, to satisfy all our desires however enlarged, to sanctify our souls however polluted, to justify our persons however guilty, and to enrich us however poor. Where beside can you find such a source?