689. Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty.- That this signifies the acknowledgment that all being, life, and power are from the Lord, is evident from the signification of saying and giving thanks, as denoting to acknowledge, since to fall upon the face and to adore, and then to give thanks, can have no other signification than to acknowledge, in this case, the omnipotence of the Lord; from the signification of the Lord God, as denoting the Lord as to Divine Good and as to Divine Truth, for where Divine Good is meant in the Word, there the words Lord and Jehovah are used, and where Divine Truth is meant the term God is used; therefore by the Lord God and Jehovah God is meant the Lord as to Divine Good and Divine Truth; and moreover Jehovah in the Old Testament, is called Lord in the New; and from the signification of Almighty, as denoting to be, to live, and to have power of Himself, and also that the being (esse), life, and power (posse) of angels and men are from Him.
[2] That these things are meant by omnipotence, may be seen above (n. 43), also, that by the Divine Omnipotence is meant what is infinite (n. 286). In regard to the Divine Omnipotence it does not involve any power of acting contrary to order, but it involves all power of acting according to order, for all order is from the Lord; it therefore follows that no one has any power of acting according to order, except from Him who is the source of order. From this it is evident that it is of the Divine Omnipotence to lead man according to order, and this every moment from the beginning of his life even to eternity and according to the laws of order, which are innumerable and inexpressible by number. Yet this can take place so far as a man suffers himself to be led, that is, so far as he does not desire to be led of himself, for in the measure that he desires this he is brought into opposition to order. And because it is of the Divine Omnipotence to lead a man who desires to be led, according to order, and thus to lead no one contrary to order, therefore, it is not of the Divine Omnipotence to lead any one to heaven who desires to lead himself, because it is a law of order, that what a man does, he should do from reason and freedom, since what is received by reason and done from freedom remains with a man, and is appropriated to him as his own, but not that which is not received by the reason and not done from freedom. It is therefore evident that it is not of the Divine Omnipotence to save those who do not desire to be led according to order, for to be led according to order is to be led according to the laws of order, and the laws of order are the precepts of doctrine and of life from the Word; therefore to lead a man who desires to be led, every moment and continually to eternity according to these, is of the Divine Omnipotence. For every moment there are infinite things to be seen, to be removed, and to be insinuated, in order that a man may be withheld from evils and held in goods, and this continually and connectedly according to order. It is also of the Divine Omnipotence to protect men from the hells, so far as it can be done without injury to their freedom and reason; for all the hells are as nothing against the Lord's Divine power; without this power of the Lord it is impossible for any man to be saved. But more respecting omnipotence may be seen above (n. 43).
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