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 ••
Contents VII

Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 62

What Is Formal Planning? 63
Productivity 63
What Is Productivity? 63
News Flash! The Downsides of Planning 63
Why Is Productivity Important to the United States? 65
Planning and Level in the Organization 66
What Is the Breadth of Planning? 66
How Do Planning Time Frames Differ? 66
How Are Plans and Supervisory Levels Linked? 66
Can Continuous-Improvement Programs Be a Help in Planning? 67
Key Planning Guides 69
What Are Standing Plans? 69
What Are Single-Use Plans? 70
Comprehension Check 3-1 71
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) From the Past to the
Present 75
Goal Setting 76
How Were Goals Set in Years Past? 7 6
What Is the Key to Making Goal Setting Effective? 7 6
Why Might Goal Setting Work for You? 77
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy for Your Followers 77
Balanced Scorecard: The Natural Evolution of Goal Setting? 78
A Special Case of Planning: The Entrepreneurial Supervisor 78
What Is Entrepreneurship? 79
Do Entrepreneurs Possess Similar Characteristics? 79
How Do Entrepreneurs Recruit and Retain Employees? 80
What Supervisory Issues Are Faced By Entrepreneurs? 81
How Do Entrepreneurs Compare with Traditional Supervisors? 81
Comprehension Check 3-2 82
Enhancing Understanding 83
Summary 83
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 83
Key Concept Crossword 84
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 85
Getting to Know Yourself 85
Building a Team 85
Setting Goals 85
Communicating Effectively 86
Thinking Critically 86

CHAPTER 4 Organizing 88
Key Concepts 8 8
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 89
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 90
What Is Organizing? 92
Basic Organizing Concepts 92
What Is Work Specialization? 92
What Is the Span of Control? 93
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) Return to Yesteryear 94
What Is the Chain of Command? 95
What Is Authority? 96
News Flash! Obeying Authority 96
Where Are Decisions Made? 98
What Are the Five Ways to Departmentalize? 99
Comprehension Check 4-1 101
From Departmentalization to Structure 102
 •••
VIII Contents

A Simple Structure 102

The Functional Structure 103
The Divisional Structure 103
Matrix Structure 103
Project Structure 104
Team-Based Structure 105
The Boundaryless Organization 105
The Learning Organization 107
Organizing Your Employees 107
How Do You Identify the Tasks to Be Done? 108
What Is the Purpose of Job Descriptions? 108
Empowering Others Through Delegation 108
What Is Delegation? 109
Isn't Delegation Abdication? 110
Comprehension Check 4-2 110
Enhancing Understanding 112
Summary 112
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 112
Key Concept Crossword 113
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 114
Getting to Know Yourself 114
Building a Team 114
Delegating 114
Communicating Effectively 115
Thinking Critically 115
CHAPTERS Staffing and Recruiting 118
Key Concepts 118
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 119
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 120
The Human Resource Management Process 121
The Legal Environment of HRM 122
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) Is It Safe? 124
Employment Planning 125
How Does a Supervisor Conduct an Employee Assessment? 125
How Are Future Employee Needs Determined? 125
Recruitment and Selection 125
Where Do Supervisors Look to Recruit Candidates? 125
How Does a Supervisor Handle Layoffs? 127
Is There a Basic Premise to Selecting Job Candidates? 127
How Effective Are Tests and Interviews As Selection Devices? 129
News Flash! The Realistic Job Preview 131
Preparation for the Interview 131
Interview Questions You Shouldn't Ask 132
Interview Questions You Should Ask 132
Comprehension Check 5-1 133
Orientation, Training, and Development 133
How Do You Introduce New Hires to the Organization? 133
What Is Employee Training? 134
Performance Appraisals 13 6
Compensation and Benefits 136
How Are Pay Levels Determined? 136
Why Do Organizations Offer Employee Benefits? 137
Current Issues in Human Resource Management 13 7
Workforce Diversity 137
The Workplace: Reasonable Grounds for Romance? 137
What Is Sexual Harassment? 138
 .
Contents IX

How Do "Survivors" Respond to Layoffs? 140

Comprehension Check 5-2 14 1
Enhancing Understanding 142
Summary 142
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 142
Key Concept Crossword 14 3
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 144
Getting to Know Yourself 144
Building a Team 144
Interviewing 14 5
Communicating Effectively 145
Thinking Critically 146

CHAPTER 6 Controlling 148

Key Concepts 148
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 149
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 150
The Control Process 151
How Do You Measure Actual Performance? 151
How Do You Compare Results with Standards? 152
When Should Corrective Action be Taken ? 156
Types of Controls 157
What Is Preventive Control? 157
When Are Concurrent Controls Used? 157
What Is Corrective Control? 158
The Focus of Control 158
What Costs Should You Control? 158
News Flash! On the Rocks 159
Comprehension Check 6-1 160
Why Pay Attention to Inventories? 161
What Is Value Chain Management? 162
Why the Focus on Quality? 163
What Are the Characteristics of Effective Controls? 164
Can Controls Create Problems? 165
Contemporary Control Issues 167
Is Employee Theft Increasing? 167
Something to Think About (and Promote Class D iscussion) Out with E-Mail 168
What Is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act? 169
Do Controls Need to Be Adjusted for Cultural Differences? 170
Comprehension Check 6-2 171
Enhancing Understanding 172
Summary 172
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 172
Key Concept Crossword 173
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 174
Getting to Know Yourself 174
Building a Team 174
Establishing Budgets 174
Communicating Effectively 175
Thinking Critically 175

CHAPTER 7 Problem Analysis and Decision Making 178

Key Concepts 178
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 179
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 180
The Decision-Making Process 181
X Contents

How Do You Identify the Problem? 181

How Do You Collect Relevant Information? 181
How Do You Develop Alternatives? 182
How Do You Evaluate Each Alternative? 182
How Do You Select the Best Alternative? 183
How Do You Implement the Decision? 183
How Do You Follow Up and Evaluate? 184
Decision Tools 184
What Are the Conditions of Decision Making? 184
What Is the Expected Value Analysis? 184
How Are Decision Trees Useful? 185
What Is Marginal Analysis? 186
Decision-Making Styles 186
What Are the Four Decision-Making Styles? 186
What's the Point of These Four Decision-Making Styles? 187
What Common Errors Are Committed in the Decision-Making Process? 187
Comprehension Check 7-1 189
Problems Versus Decisions 189
News Flash! Daily Delivery Decisions at UPS 189
How Do Problems Differ? 190
What Is the Difference Between Programmed and Non-Programmed Decisions? 191
Group Decision Making 191
What Are the Advantages of Group Decisions? 191
Are There Disadvantages to Group Decision-Making? 192
Is There a Guide for When to Use Group Decision-Making? 193
How Can You Improve Group Decision-Making? 193
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) Making Good
Decisions 194
Global Diversity in Decision-Making 195
Design Thinking in Decision-Making 196
Big Data in Decision-Making 197
Ethics in Decision-Making 19 8
What Are Common Rationalizations? 198
What Are the Three Views on Ethics? 199
Is There a Guide to Acting Ethically? 200
Comprehension Check 7-2 200
Enhancing Understanding 201
Summary 201
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 201
Key Concept Crossword 202
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 203
Getting to Know Yourself 203
Building a Team 203
Becoming More Creative 203
Communicating Effectively 204
Thinking Critically 204

Part 3 Motivating, Leading, Communicating,

and Developing 207
CHAPTER 8 Motivating Followers 208
Key Concepts 208
 .
Contents XI

Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 209

Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 210
What Is Motivation? 211
Understanding Individual Differences 211
Can Personality Measures Predict Practical Work-Related Behaviors? 212
Do You Need to Develop Your Emotional Intelligence to Improve Your Supervision
Skills? 213
The Early Theories of Motivation 213
How Do You Focus on Needs? 213
Do Supervisors Focus on the Nature of People? 214
What Effect Does the Organization Have on Motivation? 214
Comprehension Check 8-1 216
Contemporary Theories of Motivation 216
What Is a Focus on Achievement? 216
How Important Is Equity? 217
Do Employees Really Get What They Expect? 218
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) Motivated to Do
What? 219
How Do You Create an Atmosphere in Which Employees Really Want to Work? 220
Designing Motivating Jobs 222
Motivation Challenges for Today's Supervisors 224
What Is the Key to Motivating a Diverse Workforce? 224
Should Employees Be Paid for Performance Or Time on the Job? 225
How Can Supervisors Motivate Minimum-Wage Employees? 226
How Are Contingent Workers Motivated? 227
What's Different in Motivating Professional and Technical Employees? 227
What Can a Supervisor Do to Improve Employees' Work-Life Balance? 228
News Flash! Making It Rain ... at Gravity 230
How Can Supervisors Use Employee Recognition Programs? 231
How Can Employee Stock Ownership Plans Affect Motivation? 232
Comprehension Check 8-2 232
Enhancing Understanding 233
Summary 233
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 233
Key Concept Crossword 234
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 235
Getting to Know Yourself 235
Building a Team 235
Designing Jobs That Motivate 235
Communicating Effectively 236
Thinking Critically 236

CHAPTER9 Leading Followers 238

Key Concepts 238
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 239
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 240
Understanding Leadership 241
Are Leaders Born or Made? 241
What Are the Traits of Successful Leaders? 241
What Is This Thing Called Charisma? 242
What Is Visionary Leadership? 244
Comprehension Check 9-1 245
How Do You Become a Leader? 246
Why Does a Leader Need Technical Skills? 246
How Do Conceptual Skills Affect Your Leadership? 246
How Do Networking Skills Make You a Better Leader? 246
What Role Do Human Relations Skills Play in Effective Leadership? 247
 ..
XII Contents

Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion} Growing New

Leaders 248
Leadership Behaviors and Styles 249
What Is Task-Centered Behavior? 250
What Are People-Centered Behaviors? 250
What Behavior Should You Exhibit? 250
Effective Leadership 251
News Flash! National Culture Could Affect Your Leadership Style 252
Contemporary Leadership Roles 252
Do Credibility and Trust Really Matter? 252
Why Are Credibility and Trust Important? 253
What If You Play Favorites? 254
How Can You Lead Through Empowerment? 254
Why Should Supervisors Engage Their Employees? 255
Leadership Issues Today 255
What Are Transactional and Transformational Leaders? 255
What Is Team Leadership? 256
What Is £-Leadership? 257
Is Leadership Always Relevant? 257
Comprehension Check 9-2 258
Enhancing Understanding 259
Summary 259
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 259
Key Concept Crossword 260
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 261
Getting to Know Yourself 261
Building a Team 261
Mentoring Others 261
Communicating Effectively 262
Thinking Critically 262

CHAPTER 10 Communicating Effectively 264

Key Concepts 264
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 265
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 266
What Is Communication? 268
The Communication Process 268
Methods of Communication 269
How Do You Communicate Orally? 269
Why Do You Use Written Communication? 270
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion} What Is the Best Method
to Communicate Bad News? 270
Do Women and Men Communicate Differently? 2 71
Is Electronic Communication More Efficient? 271
What Issues Are Created By Instant Messaging and Text Messaging? 272
How Does Nonverbal Communication Affect Your Communication? 273
What Is the Grapevine? 273
Barriers to Effective Communication 275
How Does Language Affect Communication? 275
What Did you Say? 276
Did You Get My Message? 276
Do You See What I See? 276
What Do Roles Have to Do with Communication? 277
Is There a Preferred Information Medium? 277
Comprehension Check 10-1 2 77
How Does Honesty Affect Communication? 278
 ...
Contents XIII

How Can You Improve Your Communication Effectiveness? 2 79

News Flash! Twitter ... Social Benefit Or Social Disaster? 280
A Special Communication Skill: Active Listening 282
The Importance of Feedback Skills 283
What's the Difference Between Positive Feedback and Feedback for
Improvement? 283
How Do You Give Effective Feedback? 283
Comprehension Check 10-2 285
Enhancing Understanding 286
Summary 286
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 286
Key Concept Crossword 2 8 7
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 288
Getting to Know Yourself 28 8
Building a Team 288
Active Listening 289
Communicating Effectively 290
Thinking Critically 290

CHAPTER 11 Developing Groups 292

Key Concepts 292
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 293
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 294
What Is a Group? 295
Why Do People Join Groups? 295
Understanding Informal Workgroups 296
What Are Norms and How Do They Affect Work Behavior? 296
News Flash! Solomon Asch and Group Conformity 297
Are Cohesive Groups More Effective? 298
What Is an Emergent Leader? 298
How Can Informal Groups Be Helpful? 298
Are There Ways to Influence the Informal Workgroup? 299
Comprehension Check 11-1 299
The Increasing Use of Teams 300
What Are the Different Types of Work Teams? 300
Turning Groups into Teams 301
The Five-Stage Model of Group Development 301
A Model of Development for Deadline-Driven Ad Hoc Groups 303
How Do You Build Effective Teams? 304
Team Challenges for Supervisors 305
What Obstacles Exist in Creating Effective Teams? 305
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) Fast Times! 306
How Can Team Obstacles Be Overcome? 307
Contemporary Team Issues 308
Why Are Teams Central to Continuous-Improvement Programs? 309
How Does Workforce Diversity Affect Teams? 309
What Challenges Exist When Supervising Global Teams? 310
When Are T earns Not the Answer? 311
Comprehension Check 11-2 311
Enhancing Understanding 312
Summary 312
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 312
Key Concept Crossword 313
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 314
Getting to Know Yourself 314
Building a Team 314
 .
XIV Contents

Developing Your Coaching Skills 314

Communicating Effectively 315
Thinking Critically 315

Part 4 Appraisal, Safety, Negotiation, Change,

and Labor Relations 317
CHAPTER 12 Performance Appraisal 318
Key Concepts 318
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 319
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 320
The Purpose of Employee Performance Appraisals 321
When Should Appraisals Occur? 322
What Is Your Role in Performance Appraisals? 322
What Are the Legal Issues in Performance Appraisals? 323
Are There Appropriate Criteria for Appraising Performance? 326
How Do You Gather Performance Data? 327
Performance Appraisal Methods 327
What Are the Absolute-Standards Measurements? 327
How Do You Use Relative Standards? 329
Comprehension Check 12-1 331
Objectives 331
Potential Problems in Performance Appraisals 332
What Is Leniency Error? 332
How do Halo Errors Affect Appraisals? 332
What Is Similarity Error? 332
What Is Recency Error? 333
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) an Unfair Performance
Review 333
How Does Central Tendency Error Affect Appraisals? 334
Are You Inclined to Use Inflationary Pressures? 334
How Can You Overcome the Hurdles? 334
Responding to Performance Problems 336
What Do You Need to Know About Counseling Employees? 337
News Flash! The Anytime Feedback Tool at Amazon 337
Is Your Action Ethical? 338
Comprehension Check 12-2 339
Enhancing Understanding 340
Summary 340
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 340
Key Concept Crossword 341
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 342
Getting to Know Yourself 342
Building a T earn 342
Conducting a Performance Evaluation 342
Communicating Effectively 343
Thinking Critically 343

CHAPTER 13 Workplace Health and Safety 346

Key Concepts 346
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 347
 Contents XV

Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 348

The Occupational Safety and Health Act 349
What Are the OSHA Enforcement Priorities? 350
How Does a Supervisor Keep OSHA Records? 351
What Are the OSHA Punitive Actions? 353
Does OSHA Work? 354
Comprehension Check 13-1 356
Job Safety Programs 356
What Causes Work-Related Accidents? 356
How Can Accidents Be Prevented? 357
How Do Supervisors Ensure Job Safety? 357
News Flash! Causes Of Workplace Violence 358
A Special Case of Safety: Workplace Violence 359
Maintaining a Healthy Work Environment 360
How Do You Create a Smoke-Free Environment? 361
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) Save Lives,
Save Money: Make Your Business Smoke-Free 362
What Are Repetitive Stress Injuries? 362
Stress 363
Are There Common Causes of Stress? 364
What Are the Symptoms of Stress? 364
How Can Stress Be Reduced? 365
Helping the Whole Employee 365
Where Did EAPS Come From? 365
Why Provide Wellness Programs? 366
Comprehension Check 13-2 367
Enhancing Understanding 368
Summary 368
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 368
Key Concept Crossword 369
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 370
Getting to Know Yourself 3 70
Building a Team 370
Developing Safety Skills 370
Communicating Effectively 371
Thinking Critically 371

CHAPTER 14 Conflict, Politics, Discipline, and Negotiation 3 74

Key Concepts 37 4
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 375
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 376
What Is Conflict? 377
Is All Conflict Bad? 3 77
Where Do Conflicts Come From? 378
How Do You Manage Conflict? 378
What Resolution Techniques Can You Use? 378
Which Conflicts Do You Handle? 380
How Do You Choose the Appropriate Resolution Technique? 380
How Do You Stimulate Conflict? 381
How Cautiously Should You Proceed in Stimulating Conflict? 382
Comprehension Check 14-1 3 82
Understanding Organizational Politics 383
What Is Politics? 383
Why Does Politics Exist in Organizations? 383
Can You Play Politics and Still Be Ethical? 384
How Do You Know When You Should Play Politics? 385
 .
XVI Contents

News Flash! Status in Organizations 386

The Disciplinary Process 387
What Types of Discipline Problems Might You Face? 388
Is Discipline Always the Solution? 388
Basic Tenets of Discipline 389
How Do You Lay the Groundwork for Discipline? 389
How Do You Make Discipline Progressive? 390
What Factors Should You Consider in Discipline? 392
What About the Law? 392
Negotiation 393
How Do Bargaining Strategies Differ? 393
How Do You Develop Effective Negotiation Skills? 394
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) Hand Me a Towel 395
Comprehension Check 14-2 396
Enhancing Understanding 397
Summary 397
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 397
Key Concept Crossword 39 8
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 399
Getting to Know Yourself 399
Building a Team 399
Six Steps to Resolve Conflict 400
Disciplining an Employee 400
Communicating Effectively 401
Thinking Critically 402

CHAPTER 15 Change Management 404

Key Concepts 404
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 405
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 406
News Flash! This Changes Everything 407
The Forces for Change 408
What Are the External Forces Creating a Need for Change? 408
What Are the Internal Forces Creating a Need for Change? 408
How Can Supervisors Serve as Change Agents? 409
Two Views of the Change Process 409
What Is the Traditional View of Change? 409
What Is the Contemporary View of Change? 410
Will You Face a World of Constant and Chaotic Change? 410
Why Do People Resist Change? 411
How Can You Overcome Resistance to Change? 412
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) Robot Doc 413
Comprehension Check 15-1 413
Stimulating Innovation 414
How Are Creativity and Innovation Related? 414
What Is Involved in Innovation? 415
What Is Disruptive Innovation? 415
How Can a Supervisor Foster Innovation? 416
Comprehension Check 15-2 417
Enhancing Understanding 418
Summary 418
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 418
Key Concept Crossword 419
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 420
Getting to Know Yourself 4 20
Building a Team 420
 ..
Contents XVII

Innovation in the Workplace 420

Communicating Effectively 4 21
Thinking Critically 422

CHAPTER 16 Supervision and Labor 424

Key Concepts 424
Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 425
Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 426
What Is Labor Relations? 426
Why Do Employees Join Unions? 427
Labor Legislation 430
The Wagner Act 430
The Taft-Hartley Act 430
Other Laws Affecting Labor- Management Relations 431
Comprehension Check 16-1 432
How Are Employees Unionized? 433
News Flash! When the Union Arrives 434
Collective Bargaining 434
What Are the Objective and Scope of Collective Bargaining? 435
What Is the Collective Bargaining Process? 435
What Happens When Agreement Cannot Be Reached? 437
Something to Think About (and Promote Class Discussion) A Bitter Taste at the Coffe
House 439
Comprehension Check 16-2 440
Enhancing Understanding 441
Summary 441
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 441
Key Concept Crossword 442
Developing Your Supervisory Skills 443
Getting to Know Yourself 443
Building a Team 443
Resolving a Grievance 443
Communicating Effectively 444
Thinking Critically 444

POSTSCRIPT Personal Development 44 7

Introduction 44 7
What Is a Career? 448
How Do I Make a Career Decision? 448
Can I Increase My Chances for Getting into the Organization? 449
Where Can I Find Jobs Advertised on the Internet? 449
Preparing a Resume 449
Excelling at the Interview 450
Some Suggestions for Developing a Successful Career 451
Once You Get a Job Be Proactive and Find Yourself a Mentor 452
A Final Word 453

ANSWERS TO COMPREHENSION CHECKS AND CROSSWORD PUZZLES 454

GLOSSARY 463

INDEX 472
This page intentionally left blank
PREFACE

New to This Edition

We have been pleased with the response to the previous edition of the textbook.
Reviewers and current adopters tell us that the content is solid and that the skill-
building exercises work well in the classroom. For the ninth edition, we have concen-
trated on refining the presentation and addressing the evolving roles that supervisors
are asked to embrace in today's workplace. Significant additions to the ninth edition
include the following:

Chapter 1
New section "Why Study Supervision?"

Chapter 2
Updates on Contingent Workforces

Chapter 3
Updates on Six Sigma Quality

Chapter 4
Updates on Teleworking
New Case Study "Push the Magic Button"

Chapter 5
New Case Study "Attracting the Perfect Candidate"

Chapter 6
Updates on Cost Reduction
Updated "Something to Think About- Out With E-mail"

Chapter 7
New "News Flash!- Daily Delivery Decisions at UPS"
New "Something to Think About- Making Good Decisions"
New section "Global Diversity in Decision Making"
New Case Study "Simply Orange Decisions"

Chapter 8
New "News Flash!- Making it Rain ... at Gravity"
Updates on Employee Recognition Programs
New Case Study "Naturally Motivated"

Chapter 9
New "Something to Think About- Growing New Leaders"
New Case Study "Insane Leadership Legacy"

Chapter 10
New "Something to Think About - What 1s the Best Method to Communicate
Bad News?"
Updates on Communication

.
XIX
XX Preface

Chapter 11
New Case Study "An Rx for Improved Teamwork in the Health-Care industry"

Chapter 12
New "Something to Think About- An Unfair Performance Review"
New "News Flash!- The Anytime Feedback Tool at Amazon"
New Case Study "Accentuate the Positive!"

Chapter 13
New Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma
Updates on OSHA Enforcement Actions
Updates on Workplace Violence
New Case Study "When Stress Kills"

Chapter 14
New Case Study "Dealing with Conflict at Nomura Holdings Inc."

Chapter 15
New "News Flash!- This Changes Everything"
New section "What is Disruptive Innovation?"
New Case Study "Poor Performance Forces a Make Over at Avon"

Chapter 16
New "Something to Think About- A Bitter Taste at the Coffee House"
New Case Study "A Slap Shot at USA Hockey"

Postscript
New section "Once You Get a Job Be Proactive and Find Yourself a Mentor"

Solving Teaching and Learning Challenges

Welcome to the ninth edition of Supervision Today!. We continue to present this book
in a way that our users have found useful. Many of you helped make the previous
editions of this book a resounding success. In this edition, we continue that trend and
make your reading experience even better.
In our quest to make this the most complete supervision text currently available,
we've taken into account feedback from our readers. We continue to present a book
that focuses on the basic elements of supervision-one that covers the essential and
traditional concepts in effectively supervising employees; that has a strong applied,
practical, and skill focus; and that is user friendly.
Most of us understand concepts better when we can relate them to our everyday
lives. In this edition, we help you build an understanding of supervising through real-
life concepts, examples, and practice. We believe that when you have an opportunity to
apply what you are learning-in an educational setting that encourages risk taking-
you will perform more effectively on the job. Moreover, in the process you will build
your supervisory skills portfolio!
We recognize that the supervisor's job continues its rate of dramatic change. Super-
visors are working with a more diverse workforce in terms of race, gender, and ethnic
background. Supervisors' jobs are constantly affected by technological changes, a more
competitive marketplace, and corporate restructuring and workflow redesign. Despite
all of these changes, supervisors still need to understand the traditional elements of
directing the work of others and the specific skills required: goal setting, budgeting,
scheduling, delegating, interviewing, negotiating, handling grievances, counseling
employees, and evaluating employees' performance.
 Preface XXi

A good supervision text must address both traditional and contemporary issues.
We believe we've done this by focusing on relevant issues and by including lots of
examples and visual stimuli to make concepts come alive. The full-color design for-
mat captures visually the reality and the excitement of the supervisor's job. We've
also spent years developing a writing style that has been called "lively, conversa-
tional, and interesting. " That's just another way of saying that you should be able
to understand what we're saying and feel as though we're actually in front of you
giving a lecture. Of course, only yo u can judge this text's readability. We ask yo u to
read a few pages at random. We think you'll find the writing style both informative
and lively.

Developing Employability Skills

Today it's not enough simply to know about supervision; you need skills to succeed in
your supervisory efforts and in a rapidly changing job market. You should be aware
of your career options and how to go about developing a variety of skills. To focus on
developing your supervisory abilities, we offer our skill component in the Enhancing
Understanding and Developing Your Supervisory Skills sections at the end of each
chapter, which include the following features:
• Summary
• Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions
• Key Concept Crossword
• Getting to Know Yourself
• Building a Team
• A step-by-step description of how to develop your skills in the area discussed
in that chapter
• Communicating Effectively
• Thinking Critically
These features are designed to help you build analytical, diagnostic, team-building,
investigative, and writing skills. We address these skill areas in several ways. For
example, we include experiential exercises to develop team-building skills; cases to
build diagnostic, analytical, and decision-making skills; and suggested topical writing
assignments to enhance writing skills.

Summary Just as Chapter Outcomes and Learning

Objectives clarify where you are going, chapter sum-
SUMMARY
maries remind you where you've been. Each chapter
Afrer reading this chapter, you can:
of this book concludes with a concise summary orga-
I. Explain the difference among supervisors, middle 4. Explain why the supervisor's role is considered
nized around the opening chapter outcomes and managers, and top management. Whereas all are ambiguous. A supervisor is ( 1) a key person (a critical
parr of the managerial ranks, rhey differ by their level communication link in rhe organization); (2) a person
learning objectives. in the organization. Supervisors are first-level man-
agers-they manage operative employees. Middle
in the middle (interacting and reconciling opposing
forces and competing expectations); (3) just another
manngers encompass all managers from those who worker (decision·making authority is limited, and
manage supervisors up ro those in the vice-presiden- supervisors may perform operating rasks alongside
Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions These tial ranks. Top management is composed of the high-
est-level managers- those responsible for establishing
the same people they supervise); and (4) a behavioral
specialist (able to listen, motivate, and lead).
questions reinforce chapter content. If you have read the organization~s overall objectives and developing
the policies to achieve those objectives.
5. Describe the four essential supervisory competen-
cies. The four essential supervisory competencies
and understood the content of a chapter, you should be 2. Defme Sl•Pervisor. A supervisor is a first-level man-
ager who oversees the work of operative or non-man-
are technical, interpersonal, conceptual, and poliri~
cal competence. Technical competence reflects one's
able to answer the review questions, which are drawn agement employtts. ability to apply specialized knowledge or expertise.
Interpersonal competence is the obility to work with,
3. Identify the four functions in the management pro-
directly from the material in the chapter. The discus- cess. Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling understand, and communicate with others both i ndi~
vidually and in groups. Conceptual competence is
make up rhe management process. Planning involves
sion questions, on the other hand, tend to go beyond esrablishing the overall strategy and setting goals. one's mental ability to analyze and diagnose com-
plex situations. Political competence is the ability to
O rganizing involves arranging and grouping jobs,
comprehension of chapter content. They're designed allocating resources, and assigning work so activities enhance Olle'$ power by building a power base and
establishing the right connections in the organizotion.
can be accomplished as planned. Leading involves
to foster higher-order thinking skills. The discussion morivating employees, directing the activities of oth-
ers, communicating properly, and resolving confli(.."f
6. Identify the elements rhar are necessary to be success-
ful as a supervisor. Several elements are necessary
questions enable you to demonstrate that you not only among organizational members. Controlling involves
monitoring rhe organiz.11ion's performance and com-
to become a successful supervisor, including under~
standing that you're part of rhe management teant,
know the facts in the chapter but can also use those paring it wirh previously set goals. handling legitimate power properly, and recognizing
differences in employees.
facts to deal with more complex issues.
XXi i Preface

KEY CONCEPT CROSSWORD

Key Concept Crossword Crossword puzzles
using the key concepts from each chapter
1
I I I I , I I I I I I provide another way to reinforce compre-
hension on a level and in a way that you
r I I I I I I I" I I I I I I 6

may enjoy. Answers are provided in the

- -
- I' I I I I I I I - Solutions section at the end of the book.
-
I' I I I I I I I I I I I I I I -
- - - Getting to Know Yourself Before you can
r I I I 10
I I I I I I I I I
- effectively supervise others, you must
11

13
understand your current strengths as well
I" I I I I I I I I I I I as areas in need of development. To assist
- f-
in this learning process, we encourage you
f-
I" I I I I I '" I
18
I I I I I I" I I I I
to find and complete self-assessments.
- r- r-
- f-
I" I I I I I I I I f- Building a Team These exercises give
- '--- r-
-
119
I I I I I I f-
you an opportunity to work as a team,
- r- learning and practicing the supervisory
- f-
skills introduced in the chapter. By com-
'---
ACROSS DOWN bining your new knowledge and natu-
1. people who manage other managers 2. the process of getting things done, effectively and
3. competency in the ability to analyze and diagnose efficiently through and with people
ral talents, you will be able to practice
complex s~uations 4 . mon~OI'ing actMties
5. competency in the ability to work w~h and communicate 6. motivating employees a supervisory activity and assess your
w~hothers 1 1. competency in the ability to apply specialized knowledge
7. people responsille tor establishing an Ol'ganization's orexpenlse own progress.
overall goals 13. an employee who physically produces goods and s91Vices
8. conceptual, interpersonal, technical, and political 15. arranging and grouping jobs
9. the ability to demonstrate a behavior related to attaining 16. the primary activities supervisors perform
a performance goal Chapter Topic How-To Focus This section
, 0. doing the right task
12. planning, organizing, leadWlg, and controlting gives step-by-step instructions on how to
14. first-line managers
16. competency in the ability to enhance one's power develop a skill directly related to a topic
17. defining an 01ganization's goals
18. the systematic grouping of people to accomplish a addressed in the chapter.
specific purpose
19. doing a task right

Communicating Effectively In this fea-

ture, suggested writing projects help you
develop writing skills. Projects can also become presentations to reinforce verbal and
presentation skills.

Thinking Critically: Case Analyses Each chapter concludes with two case studies designed
to make you think critically as you make decisions regarding a supervisory issue. These
cases enable you to apply your knowledge to solve problems faced by supervisors. For
this edition, 11 of the cases have been replaced and updated with new topical situa-
tions dealing with current workplace issues.

Instructor Teaching Resources

Before you start a journey, it's valuable to know where you're headed so you can minimize
detours. The same holds true in teaching with a text. To make learning more efficient, we
continue to include the following features to enhance your interactions with students.

Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives Each chapter opens with a list of outcomes
and learning objectives that describe what students will be able to do after reading the
chapter. These outcomes and learning objectives are designed to focus student's atten-
tion on the major issues in each chapter. Each outcome and learning objective is a key
learning element.

Key Concepts Each chapter contains a list of the key concepts addressed in the chap-
ter. These terms represent critical comprehension areas. And through the Key Concept
Crossword, students can get feedback on how well they've understood the key concepts.
 Preface xxiii

Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma These interesting chap- Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma

ter-opening stories focus on an issue regarding a topic that
will be discussed in the chapter. Although they have value, Orpnizations.,. ~but.,. ttam approacta ro ~~ and is
-nwuions c~ th<iT md~ muaurnl hori>ontaBy. Acxordiog ro
these vignettes are often overlooked. To address this problem, rional $UIICtW<S? By and Wge, d><
;um.w is no, traditional organiza·
Coogk.C<Jm, d><y pwposh'dy ,.,.,.
tain --~ opm cultun" oftrn associak'd
and to focus heavily on supervisory issues, all of our open- rional Anlcntres aft' Rill evident
oocby. - ...... somt_,;z.tions
wirh sunu~ in which Cftryorte
hands-on contributOI' and kds
is a
com~
... ~d><~-~ fonobk •hariog idoas and <>pinions.• 1
ing vignettes are posed as situational dilemmas. No matter nrional """"''""'..,.,... 00 pccen- Coot;l<'s lxnef"' packase •ko pbyo •
rial<mploj=. 0... such ccmpmy is major pact in attracting c:mplorcu.
where students may work as a supervisor, at some point in Coogk. Acrordiog ro forttu~,
Googlc(AJrbab<t is d>< No. I pbc.
Coogle: scares rhar, from empk>ycc
n:rimn<nt funds ro llxir &.,.lunch and
their career they will be faced with a difficult issue. Usually 10 wodc fo< d>< .....,th time in I 0 years.' What ,...n.
this orpniution to difkrmr from orhm:? Why an
dinnu pn:ICtllm, dxy stri\-e ro offer cusromilable ~
grams that suit d>< n«ds ol ...:h of llxit cmploy<n.
<mflo>us f\od::inj; 10 _.;zaliom such .. Coq;l<? What~ rould
the issue is one that goes beyond simply following the law. The ndirional -nizarional pynmid bas opera-
an emplo)u wane?
Which ocpniurional structure do you thinl:
ri,..,
..,ploj-..s at d>< bottom old>< trian(;l<. sup<n'ison worb lxst and why? Do you think tlx v<rtial struc-
These opening vignettes are designed to encourage students abo\--e them. middlt m:anagrn: abo\--e supavisors. and
oop .....,..,.._t
abo\'< aD C... Exhibit 1-1). This suue>
ture works bater in some cases. whereas the horiz.onlal
Smac:tut< wodcs b<tttr in oclxn? Would you pr<f<r a
to think about what they may face and to begin to develop a rurr is a \--ertial approach to msn:agrmnu in whKb dx
clecision-mal:ing is dont at d>< oop and onlen.,. scm
more rdax«.d 'WOd:i'* mvironmrnt or do rou I)Rfu
50ID«hing - SUUC'tUI'<d?
down 10 d>< opesarional<mploj-..s at d>< bottom ol tlx This book is abour the millions of supnvisors
plan of action for handling w orkplace dilemmas. -·izationa.l hionn:hy. Opet:ari.........plo)-... do- working in rocl:afs dyn:amic orpninrions and the
lux~ much say in chr oq;aniz:arion's optrarions. jobs d><y do in hdpiog th<iT cxpniuliom r.ach tlxir
CoocJc
USC$ a cross-funaiooal orsaniz::ational goals. This boot will inm>duoe you 10 d>< cballatgiltll
$tiUCtUI'<rombincd with • unique: philosophy. Tlxir acriviti<s and the npidly dw>&inll world ol supotY~
Margin Notes Key concepts identified at the beginning of each cross-functional organirational ~ is OliOI« ol a sion today!

chapter are set in boldface when they first appear in the chap-
ter. The marginal note defines the term for quick reference. •r-. •too ._ Cca,.-id 10 wor~c. ~or.- lOt"-..,.....,,...-........
. ..........~.........,,,.._...,.~~ ~ v.lOI'J.

NEWS FLASH!
THE SUPERVISOR'S ROLE IN MODERN ORGANIZATIONS
Fo r years, rhe role of the working o r fro m· line • Molding a product ive ream out of a mix of
supervisor has been considered by many organiza· full·timers, part· timers, " temps," and con·
rions ro be lirde more than a srepping·srone inro tract workers. News Flash! Because of the popularity of these
management. Business and managemem schools
devoted their artention primarily ro reaching prin·
• Implementation of quality and productiv-
ity programs such as ISO certification and
vignettes in previous editions, we continue to
ciples and theories applica ble to upper manage-
ment. Many professors figured their graduates
Six Sigma, just-in-time and lean manufactur- include them in this new edition. Each vignette
ing, and organizing work using self-directed
would hold down beginning supervisory roles for teams. presents an issue that highlights a distinction
a shorr period and then move imo something more
challenging. How things have changed!
• Enforcing the ever-growing number of employ-
ment laws pertaining to hiring and dismissal,
between traditional and contemporary supervi-
Today's organizations are complex. Some of
the complexity is a result, in part, of the following:
antidiscrimination, sexual harassment, disabil- sory roles. Each chapter contains a news flash
ity accommodation, workplace violence, Family
• A more culturally diverse workforce than ever and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, item specific to the topics included in the chapter.
before. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

(co11titmed)

Something to Think About Supervisors make

many decisions every day. Some decisions
present clear answers based on legal and
Becoming a supervisor is a challenging opportunity. Some individuals look forward to "taking the helm"
company rules and regulations. Other reso- of a crew of workers, whereas others are put into this situation with little advance notice or training. As
lutions may not be so obvious. Students need you consider going into a supervisory position-Qr making yourself a more effective supervisor than you
are today-think about the following two areas:
to evaluate and think through a number of 1. List five reasons why you want ro be a 2. Identify five potential problems or difficulties
variables to develop an answer or course supervisor. rha t you may encounter when you become a
supervisor.
of action. These sections are excellent class
discussion starters, and are included in each
chapter to focus on the presented topics.

Focus on Comprehension Second-level headings are presented in the form of questions.

Each of these questions was carefully written to reinforce understanding of specific
information. After reading a chapter (or a section), students should be able to return
to these headings and answer the question. If students are unable to answer a question
or are unsure of their response, instructors will know exactly what sections students
need to reread or review, or where to place more of their effort. All in all, this format
provides a self-check on student reading comprehension.
XXiV Preface

Comprehension Check This is a quick "Are-you-

Comprehension Check 1-2 understanding-what-you're-reading?" feature. In
5. True or false?The transition from middle manager to top-level manager creates about as each chapter, there are two Comprehension Checks
much anxiety as going from worker to supervisor. with objective questions. These questions are
6. Which one of the following is an interpersonal competency? answered in the "Solutions" section at the end of
a. Specialized knowledge the book and offer quick feedback on whether stu-
b. Motivating others
c. Analyzing skills dents have understood what they read. If students
d. Enhancing one's power base have problems answering these questions correctly,
7. A _ is the ability to demonstrate a system and sequence of behavior that is functionally instructors can direct them to reread specific sec-
related to attaining a performance goal.
tions before moving on to new material in the
a. planning effort
b. political competency book. Of course, not every element of the chapter's
c. skill material can be tested, and simply answering these
d. successful planner
questions correctly does not guarantee comprehen-
8. Which one of the following items does not relate to stimulating individual and group
performance?
sion. But answering these questions correctly can
a. Listening indicate that students are making progress and that
b. Conducting group meetings learning has taken place.
c. Interviewing
d. Projecting charisma

Thinking Critically Critical thinking is also an important outcome. Several years ago,
training organizations began taking a hard look at themselves. Typically, they found
that their programs needed to expand language-based skills, knowledge, and abilities
across the curriculum. What outcomes did this achieve? In essence, it indicated the
need for all training programs to cover the basic skill areas of communication, critical
thinking, computer technology, globalization, diversity, and ethics and values. This
edition of Supervision Today! continues this feature to help students acquire these key
skills by upgrading levels of thinking from knowledge to comprehension and, finally,
to application. We convey relevant supervisory knowledge, give students an opportu-
nity to reinforce their comprehension, and demonstrate to the instructor how they can
apply the concepts.

Instructor Resource Center By VISitmg www.pearsonhighered.com/irc, instructors can

access a variety of print, digital, and presentation resources available with this text in
downloadable format. Registration is simple and gives instructors immediate access
to new titles and new editions. As a registered faculty member, you can download
resource files and receive immediate access to, and instructions for, installing course
management content on your campus server. In case you ever need assistance, Pear-
son's dedicated technical support team is ready to help with the media supplements
that accompany this text. Visit http://support.pearson.com/getsupport for answers to
frequently asked questions and toll-free user support phone numbers.
The following supplements are available for download to adopting instructors:

Supplements available to instructors at Features of the Supplement

www.pearsonhighered.com/irc
Instructor's Manual • Chapter-by-chapter summaries
• Examples and activities not in the main book
authored by Barbara S. Faries from
• Discussion questions
Mission College, Santa Clara, CA
• Example figures
• Additional exercises
• Solutions to all questions and problems in the book
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
follow, that this omnipotence is incommunicable to any creature; no
creature can inherit it, because it is a contradiction for any creature
to have the essence of God. This omnipotence is a peculiar right of
God, wherein no creature can share with him. To be omnipotent is to
be essentially God. And for a creature to be omnipotent, is for a
creature to be its own Creator. It being therefore the same with the
essence of the Godhead, it cannot be communicated to the
humanity of Christ, as the Lutherans say it is, without the
communication of the essence of the Godhead; for then the
humanity of Christ would not be humanity, but Deity. If omnipotence
were communicated to the humanity of Christ, the essence of God
were also communicated to his humanity, and then eternity would be
communicated. His humanity then was not given him in time; his
humanity would be uncompounded, that is, his body would be no
body, his soul no soul. Omnipotence is essentially in God; it is not
distinct from the essence of God, it is his essence, omnipotent, able
to do all things.

7. Hence it follows, that this power is infinite (Eph. i. 19); “What

is the exceeding greatness of his power,” &c. “according to the
working of his mighty power.” God were not omnipotent, unless his
power were infinite; for a finite power is a limited power, and a
limited power cannot effect everything that is possible. Nothing can
be too difficult for the Divine power to effect; he hath a fullness of
power, an exceeding strength, above all human capacities; it is a
“mighty power” (Eph. i. 19), “able to do above all that we can ask or
think” (Eph. iii. 20): that which he acts, is above the power of any
creature to act. Infinite power consists in the bringing things forth
from nothing. No creature can imitate God in this prerogative of
power. Man indeed can carve various forms, and erect various pieces
of art, but from pre‑existent matter. Every artificer hath the matter
brought to his hand, he only brings it forth in a new figure. Chemists
separate one thing from another, but create nothing, but sever those
things which were before compacted and crudled together: but
when God speaks a powerful word, nothing begins to be something:
things stand forth from the womb of nothing, and obey his mighty
command, and take what forms he is pleased to give them. The
creating one thing, though never so small and minute, as the least
fly, cannot be but by an infinite power; much less can the producing
of such variety we see in the world. His power is infinite, in regard it
cannot be resisted by anything that he hath made; nor can it be
confined by anything he can will to make. “His greatness is
unsearchable” (Ps. cxlv. 3). It is a greatness, not of quantity, but
quality. The greatness of his power hath no end: it is a vanity to
imagine any limits can be affixed to it, or that any creature can say,
“Hitherto it can go, and no further.” It is above all conception, all
inquisition of any created understanding. No creature ever had, nor
ever can have, that strength of wit and understanding, to conceive
the extent of his power, and how magnificently he can work.

First, His essence is infinite. As in a finite subject there is a finite

virtue, so in an infinite subject there must be an infinite virtue.
Where the essence is limited, the power is so:825 where the essence
is unlimited, the power knows no bounds.826 Among creatures, the
more excellency of being and form anything hath, the more activity,
vigor, and power it hath, to work according to its nature. The sun
hath a mighty power to warm, enlighten, and fructify, above what
the stars have; because it hath a vaster body, more intense degrees
of light, heat, and vigor. Now, if you conceive the sun made much
greater than it is, it would proportionably have greater degrees of
power to heat and enlighten than it hath now: and were it possible
to have an infinite heat and light, it would infinitely heat and
enlighten other things; for everything is able to act according to the
measures of its being: therefore, since the essence of God is
unquestionably infinite, his power of acting must be so also. His
power (as was said before) is one and the same with his essence:
and though the knowledge of God extends to more objects than his
power, because he knows all evils of sin, which because of his
holiness he cannot commit, yet it is as infinite as his knowledge,
because it is as much one with his essence, as his knowledge and
wisdom is: for as the wisdom or knowledge of God is nothing but the
essence of God, knowing, so the power of God is nothing but the
essence of God, able.

The objects of Divine power are innumerable. The objects of

Divine power are not essentially infinite; and therefore we must not
measure the infiniteness of Divine power by an ability to make an
infinite being; because there is an incapacity in any created thing to
be infinite; for to be a creature and to be infinite; to be infinite and
yet made, is a contradiction. To be infinite, and to be God, is one
and the same thing. Nothing can be infinite but God; nothing but
God is infinite. But the power of God is infinite, because it can
produce infinite effects, or innumerable things, such as surpass the
arithmetic of a creature; nor yet doth the infiniteness consist simply
in producing innumerable effects; for that a finite cause can
produce. Fire can, by its finite and limited heat, burn numberless
combustible things and parcels; and the understanding of man hath
an infinite number of thoughts and acts of intellection, and thoughts
different from one another. Who can number the imaginations of his
fancy, and thoughts of his mind, the space of one month or year?
much less of forty or an hundred years; yet all these thoughts are
about things that are in being, or have a foundation in things that
are in being. But the infiniteness of God’s power consists in an ability
to produce infinite effects, formally distinct, and diverse from one
another; such as never had being, such as the mind of man cannot
conceive: “Able to do above what we can think” (Eph. iii. 20). And
whatsoever God hath made, or is able to make, he is able to make in
an infinite manner, by calling them to stand forth from nothing. To
produce innumerable effects of distinct natures, and from so distant
a term as nothing, is an argument of infinite power. Now, that the
objects of Divine power are innumerable, appears, because God can
do infinitely more than he hath done, or will do. Nothing that God
hath done can enfeeble or dull his power; there still resides in him
an ability beyond all the settled contrivances of his understanding
and resolves of his will, which no effects which he hath wrought can
drain and put to a stand. As he can raise stones to be children to
Abraham (Matt. iii. 9); so with the same mighty word, whereby he
made one world, he can make infinite numbers of worlds to be the
monuments of his glory. After the prophet Jeremiah (ch. xxxii. 17),
had spoke of God’s power in creation, he adds, “And there is nothing
too hard for thee.” For one world that he hath made, he can create
millions: for one star which he hath beautified the heavens with, he
could have garnished it with a thousand, and multiplied, if he had
pleased, every one of those into millions, “for he can call things that
are not” (Rom. iv. 17); not some things, but all things possible. The
barren womb of nothing can no more resist his power now to educe
a world from it, than it could at first: no doubt, but for one angel
which he hath made, he could make many worlds of angels. He that
made one with so much ease, as by a word, cannot want power to
make many more, till he wants a word. The word that was not too
weak to make one, cannot be too weak to make multitudes. If from
one man he hath, in a way of nature, multiplied so many in all ages
of the world, and covered with them the whole face of the earth; he
could, in a supernatural way, by one word, multiply as many more.
“It is the breath of the Almighty that gives life” (Job. xxxiii. 4). He
can create infinite species and kinds of creatures more than he hath
created, more variety of forms: for since there is no searching of his
greatness, there is no conceiving the numberless possible effects of
his power. The understanding of man can conceive numberless
things possible to be, more than have been or shall be. And shall we
imagine, that a finite understanding of a creature hath a greater
omnipotency to conceive things possible, than God hath to produce
things possible? When the understanding of man is tired in its
conceptions, it must still be concluded, that the power of God
extends, not only to what can be conceived, but infinitely beyond
the measures of a finite faculty. “Touching the Almighty, we cannot
find him out; he is excellent in power and in judgment” (Job
xxxvi. 23). For the understanding of man, in its conceptions of more
kind of creatures, is limited to those creatures which are: it cannot,
in its own imagination, conceive anything but what hath some
foundation in and from something already in being. It may frame a
new kind of creature, made up of a lion, a horse, an ox; but all those
parts whereof its conception is made, have distinct beings in the
world, though not in that composition as his mind mixes and joins
them; but no question but God can create creatures that have no
resemblance with any kind of creatures yet in being. It is certain that
if God only knows those things which he hath done, and will do, and
not all things possible to be done by him, his knowledge were finite;
so if he could do no more than what he hath done, his power would
be finite.

(1.) Creatures have a power to act about more objects than

they do. The understanding of man can frame from one principle of
truth, many conclusions and inferences more than it doth. Why
cannot, then, the power of God frame from one first matter, an
infinite number of creatures more than have been created? The
Almightiness of God in producing real effects, is not inferior to the
understanding of man in drawing out real truths. An artificer that
makes a watch, supposing his life and health, can make many more
of a different form and motion; and a limner can draw many
draughts, and frame many pictures with a new variety of colors,
according to the richness of his fancy. If these can do so, that
require a pre‑existent matter framed to their hands, God can much
more, who can raise beautiful structures from nothing. As long as
men have matter, they can diversify the matter, and make new
figures from it; so long as there is nothing, God can produce out of
that nothing whatsoever he pleases. We see the same in inanimate
creatures. A spark of fire hath a vast power in it: it will kindle other
things, increase and enlarge itself; nothing can be exempt from the
active force of it. It will alter, by consuming or refining, whatsoever
you offer to it. It will reach all, and refuse none; and by the
efficacious power of it, all those new figures which we see in metals,
are brought forth; when you have exposed to it a multitude of
things, still add more, it will exert the same strength; yea, the vigor
is increased rather than diminished. The more it catcheth, the more
fiercely and irresistibly it will act; you cannot suppose an end of its
operation, or a decrease of its strength, as long as you can conceive
its duration and continuance: this must be but a weak shadow of
that infinite power which is in God. Take another instance, in the
sun: it hath power every year to produce flowers and plants from
the earth; and is as able to produce them now, as it was at the first
lighting it and rearing it in that sphere wherein it moves. And if there
were no kind of flowers and plants now created, the sun hath a
power residing in it, ever since its first creation, to afford the same
warmth to them for the nourishing and bringing them forth.
Whatsoever you can conceive the sun to be able to do in regard of
plants, that can God do in regard of worlds; produce more worlds
than the sun doth plants every year, without weariness, without
languishment. The sun is able to influence more things than it doth,
and produce numberless effects; but it doth not do so much as it is
able to do, because it wants matter to work upon. God, therefore,
who wants no matter, can do much more than he doth; he can
either act by second causes if there were more, or make more
second causes if he pleased.

(2.) God is the most free agent. Every free agent can do more
than he will do. Man being a free creature, can do more than
ordinarily he doth will to do. God is most free, as being the spring of
liberty in other creatures; he acts not by a necessity of nature, as
the waves of the sea, or the motions of the wind; and, therefore, is
not determined to those things which he hath already called forth
into the world. If God be infinitely wise in contrivance, he could
contrive more than he hath, and therefore, can effect more than he
hath effected. He doth not act to the extent of his power upon all
occasions. It is according to his will that he works (Eph. i.). It is not
according to his work that he wills; his work is an evidence of his
will, but not the rule of his will. His power is not the rule of his will,
but his will is the disposer of his power, according to the light of his
infinite wisdom, and other attributes that direct his will; and
therefore his power is not to be measured by his actual will. No
doubt, but he could in a moment have produced that world which he
took six days’ time to frame; he could have drowned the old world at
once, without prolonging the time till the revolution of forty days; he
was not limited to such a term of time by any weakness, but by the
determination of his own will. God doth not do the hundred
thousandth part of what he is able to do, but what is convenient to
do, according to the end which he hath proposed to himself. Jesus
Christ, as man, could have asked legions of angels; and God, as a
sovereign, could have sent them (Matt. xxvi. 53). God could raise
the dead every day if he pleased, but he doth not: he could heal
every diseased person in a moment, but he doth not. As God can
will more than he doth actually will, so he can do more than he hath
actually done; he can do whatsoever he can will; he can will more
worlds, and therefore can create more worlds. If God hath not ability
to do more than he will do, he then can do no more than what he
actually hath done; and then it will follow, that he is not a free, but a
natural and necessary agent, which cannot be supposed of God.

Second. This power is infinite in regard of action. As he can

produce numberless objects above what he hath produced, so he
could produce them more magnificently than he hath made them. As
he never works to the extent of his power in regard of things, so
neither in regard of the manner of acting; for he never acts so but
he could act in a higher and perfecter manner.

(1.) His power is infinite in regard of the independency of

action: he wants no instrument to act. When there was nothing but
God, there was no cause of action but God; when there was nothing
in being but God, there could be no instrumental cause of the being
of anything. God can perfect his action without dependence on any
thing;827 and to be simply independent, is to be simply infinite. In
this respect it is a power incommunicable to any creature, though
you conceive a creature in higher degrees of perfection than it is.
A creature cannot cease to be dependent, but it must cease to be a
creature; to be a creature and independent, are terms repugnant to
one another.

(2.) But the infiniteness of Divine power consists in an ability to

give higher degrees of perfection to everything which he hath made.
As his power is infinite extensive, in regard of the multitude of
objects he can bring into being, so it is infinite intensive, in regard of
the manner of operation, and the endowments he can bestow upon
them.828 Some things, indeed, God doth so perfect, that higher
degrees of perfection cannot be imagined to be added to them.829
As the humanity of Christ cannot be united more gloriously than to
the person of the Son of God, a greater degree of perfection cannot
be conferred upon it. Nor can the souls of the blessed have a nobler
object of vision and fruition than God himself, the infinite Being: no
higher than the enjoyment of himself can be conferred upon a
creature, respectu termini. This is not want of power; he cannot be
greater, because he is greatest; not better, because he is best;
nothing can be more than infinite. But as to the things which God
hath made in the world, he could have given them other manner of
being than they have. A human understanding may improve a
thought or conclusion; strengthen it with more and more force of
reason; and adorn it with richer and richer elegancy of language:
why, then, may not the Divine providence produce a world more
perfect and excellent than this? He that makes a plain vessel, can
embellish it more, engrave more figures upon it, according to the
capacity of the subject: and cannot God do so much more with his
works? Could not God have made this world of a larger quantity, and
the sun of a greater bulk and proportionable strength, to influence a
bigger world? so that this world would have been to another that
God might have made, as a ball or a mount, this sun as a star to
another sun that he might have kindled. He could have made every
star a sun, every spire of grass a star, every grain of dust a flower,
every soul an angel. And though the angels be perfect creatures,
and inexpressibly more glorious than a visible creature, yet who can
imagine God so confined, that he cannot create a more excellent
kind, and endow those which he hath made with excellency of a
higher rank than he invested them with at the first moment of their
creation? Without question God might have given the meaner
creatures more excellent endowments, put them into another order
of nature for their own good and more diffusive usefulness in the
world. What is made use of by the prophet (Mal. ii. 15) in another
case, may be used in this: “Yet had he a residue of Spirit.” The
capacity of every creature might have been enlarged by God; for no
work of his in the world doth equal his power, as nothing that he
hath framed doth equal his wisdom. The same matter which is the
matter of the body of a beast, is the matter of a plant and flower; is
the matter of the body of a man; and so was capable of a higher
form and higher perfections, than God hath been pleased to bestow
upon it. And he had power to bestow that perfection on one part of
matter which he denied to it, and bestowed on another part. If God
cannot make things in a greater perfection, there must be some
limitation of him: he cannot be limited by another, because nothing
is superior to God. If limited by himself, that limitation is not from a
want of power, but a want of will. He can, by his own power, raise
stones to be children to Abraham (Matt. iii. 9): he could alter the
nature of the stones, form them into human bodies, dignify them
with rational souls, inspire those souls with such graces that may
render them the children of Abraham. But for the more fully
understanding the nature of this power, we may observe,

[1.] That though God can make everything with a higher degree
of perfection, yet still within the limits of a finite being. No creature
can be made infinite, because no creature can be made God. No
creature can be so improved as to equal the goodness and
perfection of God;830 yet there is no creature but we may conceive a
possibility of its being made more perfect in that rank of a creature
than it is: as we may imagine a flower or plant to have greater
beauty and richer qualities imparted to it by Divine power, without
rearing it so high as to the dignity of a rational or sensitive creature.
Whatsoever perfections may be added by God to a creature, are still
finite perfections; and a multitude of finite excellences can never
amount to the value and honor of infinite: as if you add one number
to another as high as you can, as much as a large piece of paper can
contain, you can never make the numbers really infinite, though
they may be infinite in regard of the inability of any human
understanding to count them. The finite condition of the creature
suffers it not to be capable of an infinite perfection. God is so great,
so excellent, that it is his perfection not to have any equal; the
defect is in the creature, which cannot be elevated to such a pitch;
as you can never make a gallon measure to hold the quantity of a
butt, or a butt the quantity of a river, or a river the fulness of the
sea.

[2.] Though God hath a power to furnish every creature with

greater and nobler perfections than he hath bestowed upon it, yet
he hath framed all things in the perfectest manner, and most
convenient to that end for which he intended them. Everything is
endowed with the best nature and quality suitable to God’s end in
creation, though not in the best manner for itself.831 In regard of the
universal end, there cannot be a better; for God himself is the end of
all things, who is the Supreme Goodness. Nothing can be better than
God, who could not be God if he were not superlatively best, or
optimus; and he hath ordered all things for the declaration of his
goodness or justice, according to the behaviors of his creatures. Man
doth not consider what strength or power he can put forth in the
means he useth to attain such an end, but the suitableness of them
to his main design, and so fits and marshals them to his grand
purpose. Had God only created things that are most excellent, he
had created only angels and men; how, then, would his wisdom
have been conspicuous in other works in the subordination and
subserviency of them to one another? God therefore determined his
power by his wisdom: and though his absolute power could have
made every creature better, yet his ordinate power, which in every
step was regulated by his wisdom, made everything best for his
designed intention.832 A musician hath a power to wind up a string
on a lute to a higher and more perfect note in itself, but in wisdom
he will not do it, because the intended melody would be disturbed
thereby if it were not suited to the other strings on the instrument; a
discord would mar and taint the harmony which the lutenist
designed. God, in creation, observed the proportions of nature: he
can make a spider as strong as a lion; but according to the order of
nature which he hath settled, it is not convenient that a creature of
so small a compass should be as strong as one of a greater bulk.
The absolute power of God could have prepared a body for Christ as
glorious as that he had after his resurrection; but that had not been
agreeable to the end designed in his humiliation: and, therefore,
God acted most perfectly by his ordinate power, in giving him a body
that wore the livery of our infirmities. God’s power is alway regulated
by his wisdom and will; and though it produceth not what is most
perfect in itself, yet what is most perfect and decent in relation to
the end he fixed. And so in his providence, though he could rack the
whole frame of nature to bring about his ends in a more miraculous
way and astonishment to mortals, yet his power is usually and
ordinarily confined by his will to act in concurrence with the nature
of the creatures, and direct them according to the laws of their
being, to such ends which he aims at in their conduct, without
violencing their nature.

[3.] Though God hath an absolute power to make more worlds,

and infinite numbers of other creatures, and to render every
creature a higher mark of his power, yet in regard of his decree to
the contrary, he cannot do it. He hath a physical power, but after his
resolve to the contrary, not a moral power: the exercise of his power
is subordinate to his decree, but not the essence of his power. The
decree of God takes not away any power from God, because the
power of God is his own essence, and incapable of change; and is as
great physically and essentially after his decree, as it was before;
only his will hath put in a bar to the demonstration of all that power
which he is able to exercise.833 As a prince that can raise 100,000
men for an invasion, raises only 20 or 30,000; he here, by his order,
limits his power, but doth not divest himself of his authority and
power to raise the whole number of the forces of his dominions if he
pleases: the power of God hath more objects than his decree hath;
but since it is his perfection to be immutable, and not to change his
decree, he cannot morally put forth his power upon all those objects,
which, as it is essentially in him, he hath ability to do. God hath
decreed to save those that believe in Christ, and to judge
unbelievers to everlasting perdition: he cannot morally damn the
first, or save the latter; yet he hath not divested himself of his
absolute power to save all or damn all.834 Or suppose God hath
decreed not to create more worlds than this we are now in, doth his
decree weaken his strength to create more if he pleased? His not
creating more is not a want of strength, but a want of will: it is an
act of liberty, not an act of impotency. As when a man solemnly
resolves not to walk in such a way, or come at such a place, his
resolution deprives him not of his natural strength to walk thither,
but fortifies his will against using his strength in any such motion to
that place. The will of God hath set bounds to the exercise of his
power, but doth not infringe that absolute power which still resides
in his nature: he is girded about with more power than he puts forth
(Ps. lxv. 6).

[4.] As the power of God is infinite in regard of his essence, in

regard of the objects, in regard of action, so, fourthly, in regard of
duration. The apostle calls it “an eternal power” (Rom. i. 20). His
eternal power is collected and concluded from the things that are
made: they must needs be the products of some Being which
contains truly in itself all power, who wrought them without engines,
without instruments; and, therefore, this power must be infinite, and
possessed of an unalterable virtue of acting. If it be eternal, it must
be infinite, and hath neither beginning nor end; what is eternal hath
no bounds. If it be eternal, and not limited by time, it must be
infinite, and not to be restrained by any finite object: his power
never begun to be, nor ever ceaseth to be; it cannot languish; men
are fain to unbend themselves, and must have some time to recruit
their tired spirits: but the power of God is perpetually vigorous,
without any interrupting qualm (Isa. xl. 28): “Hast thou not known,
hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator
of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?” That might
which suffered no diminution from eternity, but hatched so great a
world by brooding upon nothing, will not suffer any dimness or
decrease to eternity. This power being the same with his essence, is
as durable as his essence, and resides for ever in his nature.
 8. The eighth consideration, for the right understanding of this
attribute, the impossibility of God’s doing some things, is no
infringing of his almightiness, but rather a strengthening of it. It is
granted that some things God cannot do; or, rather, as Aquinas and
others, it is better to say, such things cannot be done, than to say
that God cannot do them; to remove all kind of imputation or
reflection of weakness on God,835 and because the reason of the
impossibility of those things is in the nature of the things
themselves.

1. Some things are impossible in their own nature. Such are all
those things which imply a contradiction; as for a thing to be, and
not to be at the same time; for the sun to shine, and not to shine at
the same moment of time; for a creature to act, and not to act at
the same instant: one of those parts must be false; for if it be true
that the sun shines this moment, it must be false to say it doth not
shine. So it is impossible that a rational creature can be without
reason: ’Tis a contradiction to be a rational creature, and yet want
that which is essential to a rational creature. So it is impossible that
the will of man can be compelled, because liberty is the essence of
the will; while it is will it cannot be constrained; and if it be
constrained, it ceaseth to be will. God cannot at one time act as the
author of the will and the destroyer of the will.836 It is impossible
that vice and virtue, light and darkness, life and death, should be the
same thing. Those things admit not of a conception in any
understanding. Some things are impossible to be done, because of
the incapability of the subject; as for a creature to be made infinite,
independent, to preserve itself without the Divine concourse and
assistance. So a brute cannot be taken into communion with God,
and to everlasting spiritual blessedness, because the nature of a
brute is incapable of such an elevation: a rational creature only can
understand and relish spiritual delights, and is capable to enjoy God,
and have communion with him. Indeed, God may change the nature
of a brute, and bestow such faculties of understanding and will upon
it, as to render it capable of such a blessedness; but then it is no
more a brute, but a rational creature: but, while it remains a brute,
the excellency of the nature of God doth not admit of communion
with such a subject; so that this is not for want of power in God, but
because of a deficiency in the creature: to suppose that God could
make a contradiction true, is to make himself false, and to do just
nothing.

2. Some things are impossible to the nature and being of God.

As to die, implies a flat repugnance to the nature of God; to be able
to die, is to be able to be cashiered out of being. If God were able to
deprive himself of life, he might then cease to be: he were not then
a necessary, but an uncertain, contingent being, and could not be
said only to have immortality, as he is (1 Tim. vi. 16). He cannot die
who is life itself, and necessarily existent; he cannot grow old or
decay, because he cannot be measured by time: and this is no part
of weakness, but the perfection of power. His power is that whereby
he remains forever fixed in his own everlasting being. That cannot
be reckoned as necessary to the omnipotence of God which all
mankind count a part of weakness in themselves: God is
omnipotent, because he is not impotent; and if he could die, he
would be impotent, not omnipotent: death is the feebleness of
nature. It is undoubtedly the greatest impotence to cease to be:
who would count it a part of omnipotency to disenable himself, and
sink into nothing and not being? The impossibility for God to die is
not a fit article to impeach his omnipotence; this would be a strange
way of arguing: a thing is not powerful, because it is not feeble, and
cannot cease to be powerful, for death is a cessation of all power.
God is almighty in doing what he will, not in suffering what he will
not.837 To die is not an active, but a passive power; a defect of a
power: God is of too noble a nature to perish. Some things are
impossible to that eminency of nature which he hath above all
creatures; as to walk, sleep, feed, these are imperfections belonging
to bodies and compounded natures. If he could walk, he were not
everywhere present: motion speaks succession. If he could increase,
he would not have been perfect before.
 3. Some things are impossible to the glorious perfections of
God. God cannot do anything unbecoming his holiness and
goodness; any thing unworthy of himself, and against the
perfections of his nature. God can do whatsoever he can will. As he
doth actually do whatsoever he doth actually will, so it is possible for
him to do whatsoever it is possible for him to will. He doth
whatsoever he will, and can do whatsoever he can will; but he
cannot do what he cannot will: he cannot will any unrighteous thing,
and therefore cannot do any unrighteous thing. God cannot love sin,
this is contrary to his holiness; he cannot violate his word, this is a
denial of his truth; he cannot punish an innocent, this is contrary to
his goodness; he cannot cherish an impenitent sinner, this is an
injury to his justice; he cannot forget what is done in the world, this
is a disgrace to his omniscience; he cannot deceive his creature, this
is contrary to his faithfulness: none of these things can be done by
him, because of the perfection of his nature. Would it not be an
imperfection in God to absolve the guilty, and condemn the
innocent? Is it congruous to the righteous and holy nature of God, to
command murder and adultery; to command men not to worship
him, but to be base and unthankful? These things would be against
the rules of righteousness; as, when we say of a good man, he
cannot rob or fight a duel, we do not mean that he wants a courage
for such an act, or that he hath not a natural strength and
knowledge to manage his weapon as well as another, but he hath a
righteous principle strong in him which will not suffer him to do it;
his will is settled against it: no power can pass into act unless
applied by the will; but the will of God cannot will anything but what
is worthy of him, and decent for his goodness.

(1.) The Scripture saith it is impossible for God to lie (Heb.

vi. 18); and God cannot deny himself because of his faithfulness
(2 Tim. ii. 13). As he cannot die, because he is life itself; as he
cannot deceive, because he is goodness itself; as he cannot do an
unwise action, because he is wisdom itself, so he cannot speak a
false word, because he is truth itself. If he should speak anything as
true, and not know it, where is his infinite knowledge and
comprehensiveness of understanding? If he should speak anything
as true, which he knows to be false, where is his infinite
righteousness? If he should deceive any creature, there is an end of
his perfection of fidelity and veracity. If he should be deceived
himself, there is an end of his omniscience; we must then fancy him
to be a deceitful God, an ignorant God, that is, no God at all. If he
should lie, he would be God and no God; God upon supposition, and
no God, because not the first truth.838 All unrighteousness is
weakness, not power; it is a defection from right reason, a deviation
from moral principles, and the rule of perfect action, and ariseth
from a defect of goodness and power: it is a weakness, and not
omnipotence, to lose goodness: God is light; it is the perfection of
light not to become darkness, and a want of power in light, if it
should become darkness:839 his power is infinitely strong, so is his
wisdom infinitely clear, and his will infinitely pure: would it not be a
part of weakness to have a disorder in himself, and these perfections
shock one against another? Since all perfections are in God, in the
most sovereign height of perfection, nothing can be done by the
infiniteness of one against the infiniteness of the other. He would
then be unstable in his own perfections, and depart from the infinite
rectitude of his own will, if he should do an evil action. Again,840
what is an argument of greater strength, than to be utterly ignorant
of infirmity? God is omnipotent because he cannot do evil, and
would not be omnipotent if he could; those things would be marks
of weakness, and not characters of majesty. Would you count a
sweet fountain impotent because it cannot send forth bitter streams?
or the sun weak, because it cannot diffuse darkness as well as light
in the air? There is an inability arising from weakness, and an ability
arising from perfection: it is the perfection of angels and blessed
spirits, that they cannot sin; and it would be the imperfection of
God, if he could do evil.

(2.) Hence it follows, that it is impossible that a thing past

should not be past. If we ascribe a power to God, to make a thing
that is past not to be past, we do not truly ascribe power to him, but
a weakness; for it is to make God to lie, as though God might not
have created man, yet, after he had created Adam, though he
should presently have reduced Adam to his first nothing, yet it would
be forever true that Adam was created, and it would forever be false
that Adam never was created: so, though God may prevent sin, yet
when sin hath been committed, it will alway be true that sin was
committed; it will never be true to say such a creature that did sin,
did not sin; his sin cannot be recalled: though God, by pardon, take
off the guilt of Peter’s denying our Saviour, yet it will be eternally
true that Peter did deny him. It is repugnant to the righteousness
and truth of God to make that which was once true to become false,
and not true; that is, to make a truth to become a lie, and a lie to
become a truth. This is well argued from Heb. vi. 18: “It is
impossible for God to lie.” The apostle argues, that what God had
promised and sworn will come to pass, and cannot but come to
pass.841 Now, if God could make a thing past not to be past, this
consequence would not be good, for then he might make himself not
to have promised, not to have sworn, after he hath promised and
sworn; and so, if there were a power to undo that which is past,
there would be no foundation for faith, no certainty of revelation. It
cannot be asserted, that God hath created the world; that God hath
sent his Son to die; that God hath accepted his death for man.
These might not be true, if it were possible, that that which hath
been done, might be said never to have been done: so that what
any may imagine to be a want of power in God, is the highest
perfection of God, and the greatest security to a believing creature
that hath to do with God.

4. Some things are impossible to be done, because of God’s

ordination. Some things are impossible, not in their own nature, but
in regard of the determined will of God: so God might have
destroyed the world after Adam’s fall, but it was impossible; not that
God wanted power to do it, but because he did not only decree from
eternity to create the world, but did also decree to redeem the world
by Jesus Christ, and erected the world in order to the manifestation
of his “glory in Christ” (Eph. i. 4, 5). The choice of some in Christ
was “before the foundation of the world.” Supposing that there was
no hindrance in the justice of God to pardon the sin of Adam after
his fall, and to execute no punishment on him, yet in regard of God’s
threatening, that in the day he eat of the forbidden fruit he should
die, it was impossible: so, though it was possible that the cup should
pass from our blessed Saviour, that is, possible in its own nature, yet
it was not possible in regard of the determination of God’s will, since
he had both decreed and published his will to redeem man by the
passion and blood of his Son. These things God, by his absolute
power, might have done; but upon the account of his decree, they
were impossible, because it is repugnant to the nature of God to be
mutable: it is to deny his own wisdom which contrived them, and his
own will which resolved them, not to do that which he had decreed
to do. This would be a diffidence in his wisdom, and a change of his
will. The impossibility of them is no result of a want of power, no
mark of an imperfection, of feebleness and impotence; but the
perfection of immutability and unchangeableness. Thus have
I endeavored to give you a right notion of this excellent attribute of
the power of God, in as plain terms as I could, which may serve us
for a matter of meditation, admiration, fear of him, trust in him,
which are the proper uses we should make of this doctrine of Divine
power. The want of a right understanding of this doctrine of the
Divine power hath caused many to run into mighty absurdities;
I have, therefore, taken the more pains to explain it.

II. The second thing I proposed, is the reasons to prove God to

be omnipotent. The Scripture describes God by this attribute of
power (Ps. cxv. 3): “He hath done whatsoever he pleased.” It
sometimes sets forth his power in a way of derision of those that
seem to doubt of it. When Sarah doubted of his ability to give her a
child in her old age (Gen. xviii. 14), “Is anything too hard for the
Lord?” They deserve to be scoffed, that will despoil God of his
strength, and measure him by their shallow models. And when
Moses uttered something of unbelief of this attribute, as if God were
not able to feed 600,000 Israelites, besides women and children,
which he aggravates by a kind of imperious scoff; “Shall the flocks
and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? Or, shall all the fish
of the sea be gathered together for them?” &c. (Numb. xi. 22). God
takes him up short (ver. 23): “Is the Lord’s hand waxed short?”
What! can any weakness seize upon my hand? Can I draw out of my
own treasures what is needful for a supply? The hand of God is not
at one time strong, and another time feeble. Hence it is that we read
of the hand and arm of God, an outstretched arm; because the
strength of a man is exerted by his hand and arm; the power of God
is called the arm of his power, and the right hand of his strength.
Sometimes, according to the different manifestation of it, it is
expressed by finger, when a less power is evidenced; by hand, when
something greater; by arm, when more mighty than the former.
Since God is eternal, without limits of time, he is also Almighty,
without limits of strength. As he cannot be said to be more in being
now than he was before, so he is neither more nor less in strength
than he was before: as he cannot cease to be so, so he cannot
cease to be powerful, because he is eternal. His eternity and power
are linked together as equally demonstrable (Rom. i. 20); God is
called the God of gods El Elohim (Dan. xi. 36); the Mighty of
mighties, whence all mighty persons have their activity and vigor: he
is called the Lord of Hosts, as being the Creator and Conductor of
the heavenly militia.

Reason 1. The power that is in creatures demonstrates a

greater and an unconceivable power in God. Nothing in the world is
without a power of activity according to its nature: no creature but
can act something. The sun warms and enlightens everything: it
sends its influences upon the earth, into the bowels of the earth,
into the depths of the sea: all generations owe themselves to its
instrumental virtue. How powerful is a small seed to rise into a
mighty tree with a lofty top, and extensive branches, and send forth
other seeds, which can still multiply into numberless plants! How
wonderful is the power of the Creator, who hath endowed so small a
creature as a seed, with so fruitful an activity! Yet this is but the
virtue of a limited nature. God is both the producing and preserving
cause of all the virtue in any creature, in every creature. The power
of every creature belongs to him as the Fountain, and is truly his
power in the creature. As he is the first Being, he is the original of all
being; as he is the first Good, he is the spring of all goodness; as he
is the first Truth, he is the source of all truth; so, as he is the first
Power, he is the fountain of all power.

1. He, therefore, that communicates to the creature what power

it hath, contains eminently much more power in himself. (Ps.
xciv. 10), “He that teaches man knowledge, shall not he know?” So
he that gives created beings power, shall not he be powerful? The
first Being must have as much power as he hath given to others: he
could not transfer that upon another, which he did not
transcendently possess himself. The sole cause of created power
cannot be destitute of any power in himself. We see that the power
of one creature transcends the power of another. Beasts can do the
things that plants cannot do; besides the power of growth, they
have a power of sense and progressive motion. Men can do more
than beasts; they have rational souls to measure the earth and
heavens, and to be repositories of multitudes of things, notions, and
conclusions. We may well imagine angels to be far superior to man:
the power of the Creator must far surmount the power of the
creature, and must needs be infinite: for if it be limited, it is limited
by himself or by some other; if by some other, he is no longer a
Creator, but a creature; for that which limits him in his nature, did
communicate that nature to him; not by himself, for he would not
deny himself any necessary perfection: we must still conclude a
reserve of power in him, that he that made these can make many
more of the same kind.

2. All the power which is distinct in the creatures, must be

united in God. One creature hath a strength to do this, another to do
that; every creature is as a cistern filled with a particular and limited
power, according to the capacity of its nature, from this fountain; all
are distinct streams from God. But the strength of every creature,
though distinct in the rank of creatures, is united in God the centre,
whence those lines were drawn, the fountain whence those streams
were derived. If the power of one creature be admirable, as the
power of an angel, which the Psalmist saith (Ps. ciii. 20), “excelleth
in strength;” how much greater must the power of a legion of angels
be! How inconceivably superior the power of all those numbers of
spiritual natures, which are the excellent works of God! Now, if all
this particular power, which is in every angel distinct, were
compacted in one angel, how would it exceed our understanding,
and be above our power to form a distinct conception of it! What is
thus divided in every angel, must be thought united in the Creator of
angels, and far more excellent in him. Everything is in a more noble
manner in the fountain, than in the streams which distil and descend
from it. He that is the Original of all those distinct powers, must be
the seat of all power without distinction: in him is the union of all
without division; what is in them as a quality, is in him as his
essence. Again, if all the powers of several creatures, with all their
principal qualities and vigors, both of beasts, plants, and rational
creatures, were united in one subject; as if one lion had the strength
of all the lions that ever were; or, if one elephant had the strength of
all the elephants that ever were; nay, if one bee had all the power of
motion and stinging that all bees ever had, it would have a vast
strength; but if the strength of all those thus gathered into one of
every kind should be lodged in one sole creature, one man, would it
not be a strength too big for our conception? Or, suppose one
cannon had all the force of all the cannons that ever were in the
world, what a battery would it make, and, as it were, shake the
whole frame of heaven and earth! All this strength must be much
more incomprehensible in God; all is united in him. If it were in one
individual created nature, it would still be but a finite power in a
finite nature: but in God it is infinite and immense.

Reason 2. If there were not an incomprehensible power in God,

he would not be infinitely perfect. God is the first Being; it can only
be said of him, Est, he is. All other things are nothing to him; “less
than nothing and vanity” (Isa. xl. 17), and “reputed as nothing”
(Dan. iv. 35). All the inhabitants of the earth, with all their wit and
strength, are counted as if they were not; just in comparison with
Him and his being, as a little mote in the sun‑beams: God, therefore,
is a pure Being. Any kind of weakness whatsoever is a defect, a
degree of not being; so far as anything wants this or that power, it
may be said not to be. Were there anything of weakness in God, any
want of strength which belonged to the perfection of a nature, it
might be said of God, He is not this or that, he wants this or that
perfection of Being, and so he would not be a pure Being, there
would be something of not being in him. But God being the first
Being, the only original Being, he is infinitely distant from not being,
and therefore infinitely distant from anything of weakness. Again, if
God can know whatsoever is possible to be done by him, and cannot
do it, there would be something more in his knowledge than in his
power.842 What would then follow? That the essence of God would
be in some regard greater than itself, and less than itself, because
his knowledge and his power are his essence; his power as much his
essence as his knowledge: and therefore, in regard of his
knowledge, his essence would be greater; in regard of his power, his
essence would be less; which is a thing impossible to be conceived
in a most perfect Being. We must understand this of those things
which are properly and in their own nature subjected to the Divine
knowledge; for otherwise God knows more than he can do, for he
knows sin, but he cannot act it, because sin belongs not to power
but weakness; and sin comes under the knowledge of God, not in
itself and its own nature, but as it is a defect from God, and contrary
to good, which is the proper object of Divine knowledge. He knows it
also not as possible to be done by himself, but as possible to be
done by the creature. Again, if God were not omnipotent, we might
imagine something more perfect than God:843 for if we bar God from
any one thing which in its own nature is possible, we may imagine a
being that can do that thing, one that is able to effect it; and so
imagine an agent greater than God, a being able to do more than
God is able to do, and consequently a being more perfect than God:
but no being more perfect than God can be imagined by any
creature. Nothing can be called most perfect, if anything of activity
be wanting to it. Active power follows the perfection of a thing, and
all things are counted more noble by how much more of efficacy and
virtue they possess. We count those the best and most perfect
plants, that have the greatest medicinal virtue in them, and power of
working upon the body for the cure of distempers. God is perfect of
himself, and therefore most powerful of himself. If his perfection in
wisdom and goodness be unsearchable, his power, which belongs to
perfection, and without which all the other excellencies of his nature
were insignificant, and could not show themselves, (as was before
evidenced,) must be unsearchable also. It is by the title of Almighty
he is denominated, when declared to be unsearchable to perfection
(Job xi. 7): “Canst thou by searching find out God, canst thou find
out the Almighty to perfection?” This would be limited and searched
out, if he were destitute of an active ability to do whatsoever he
pleased to do, whatsoever was possible to be done. As he hath not a
perfect liberty of will, if he could not will what he pleased; so he
would not have a perfect activity, if he could not do what he willed.

Reason 3. The simplicity of God manifests it. Every substance,

the more spiritual it is, the more powerful it is. All perfections are
more united in a simple, than in a compounded being. Angels, being
spirits, are more powerful than bodies. Where there is the greatest
simplicity, there is the greatest unity; and where there is the
greatest unity, there is the greatest power. Where there is a
composition of a faculty and a member, the member or organ may
be weakened and rendered unable to act, though the power doth
still reside in the faculty. As a man, when his arm or hand is cut off
or broke, he hath the faculty of motion still; but he hath lost that
instrument that part whereby he did manifest and put forth that
motion: but God being a pure spiritual nature, hath no members, no
organs to be defaced or impaired. All impediments of actions arise
either from the nature of the thing that acts, or from something
without it. There can be no hindrance to God to do whatsoever he
pleases; not in himself, because he is the most simple being, hath no
contrariety in himself, is not composed of divers things; and it
cannot be from anything without himself, because nothing is equal
to him, much less superior. He is the greatest, the Supreme: all
things were made by him, depend upon him, nothing can disappoint
his intentions.

Reason 4. The miracles that have been in the world evidence

the power of God. Extraordinary productions have awakened men
from their stupidity, to the acknowledgment of the immensity of
Divine power. Miracles are such effects as have been wrought
without the assistance and co‑operation of natural causes, yea,
contrary and besides the ordinary course of nature, above the reach
of any created power. Miracles have been; and saith Bradwardine,844
to deny that ever such things were, is uncivil: it is inhuman to deny
all the histories of Jews and Christians; whosoever denies miracles,
must deny all possibility of miracles, and so must imagine himself
fully skilled in the extent of Divine power. How was the sun
suspended from its motion for some hours (Josh. x. 13); “the dead
raised from the grave;” those reduced from the brink of it, that had
been brought near to it by prevailing diseases; and this by a word
speaking? How were the famished lions bridled from exercising their
rage upon Daniel, exposed to them for a prey (Dan. vi. 22)? the
activity of the fire curbed for the preservation of the three children
(Dan. iii. 15)? which proves a Deity more powerful than all creatures.
No power upon earth can hinder the operation of the fire upon
combustible matter, when they are united, unless by quenching the
fire, or removing the matter: but no created power can restrain the
fire, so long as it remains so, from acting according to its nature.
This was done by God in the case of the three children, and that of
the burning bush (Exod. iii. 2). It was as much miraculous that the
bush should not consume, as it was natural that it should burn by
the efficacy of the fire upon it. No element is so obstinate and deaf,
but it hears and obeys his voice, and performs his orders, though
contrary to its own nature: all the violence of the creature is
suspended as soon as it receives his command. He that gave the
original to nature, can take away the necessity of nature;845 he
presides over creatures, but is not confined to those laws he hath
prescribed to creatures. He framed nature, and can turn the
channels of nature according to his own pleasure. Men dig into the
bowels of nature, search into all the treasures of it, to find medicines
to cure a disease, and after all their attempts it may prove labor in
vain: but God, by one act of his will, one word of his mouth,
overturns the victory of death, and rescues from the most desperate
diseases.846 All the miracles which were wrought by the apostles,
either speaking some words or touching with the hand, were not
effected by any virtue inherent in their words or in their touches; for
such virtue inherent in any created finite subject would be created
and finite itself, and consequently were incapable to produce effects
which required an infinite virtue, as miracles do which are above the
power of nature. So when our Saviour wrought miracles, it was not
by any quality resident in his human nature, but by the sole power
of his Divinity. The flesh could only do what was proper to the flesh;
but the Deity did what was proper to the Deity. “God alone doth
wonders” (Ps. cxxxvi. 4): excluding every other cause from
producing those things. He only doth those things which are above
the power of nature, and cannot be wrought by any natural causes
whatsoever. He doth not hereby put his omnipotence to any stress:
it is as easy with him to turn nature out of its settled course, as it
was to place it in that station it holds, and appoint it that course it
runs. All the works of nature are indeed miracles and testimonies of
the power of God producing them, and sustaining them: but works
above the power of nature, being novelties and unusual, strike men
with a greater admiration upon their appearance, because they are
not the products of nature, but the convulsions of it. I might also
add as an argument, the power of the mind of man to conceive
more than hath been wrought by God in the world. And God can
work whatsoever perfection the mind of man can conceive:
otherwise the reaches of a created imagination and fancy would be
more extensive than the power of God. His power, therefore, is far
greater than the conception of any intellectual creature; else the
creature would be of a greater capacity to conceive than God is to
effect. The creature would have a power of conception above God’s
power of activity; and consequently a creature, in some respect
greater than himself. Now whatsoever a creature can conceive
possible to be done, is but finite in its own nature; and if God could
not produce what being a created understanding can conceive
possible to be done, he would be less than infinite in power, nay, he
could not go to the extent of what is finite. But I have touched this
before; that God can create more than he hath created, and in a
more perfect way of being, as considered simply in themselves.

III. The third general thing is to declare, how the power of God
appears in Creation, in Government, in Redemption.

First, In Creation. With what majestic lines doth God set for his
power, in the giving being and endowments to all the creatures in
the world (Job xxxviii.)! All that is in heaven and earth is his, and
shows the greatness of his power, glory, victory, and majesty
(1 Chron. xxix. 11). The heaven being so magnificent a piece of
work, is called emphatically, “the firmament of his power” (Ps. cl. 1);
his power being more conspicuous and unavailed in that glorious
arch of the world. Indeed, “God exalts by his power” (Job xxxvi. 22),
that is, exalts himself by his power in all the works of his hands; in
the smallest shrub, as well as the most glorious sun. All his works of
nature are truly miracles, though we consider them not, being
blinded with two frequent and customary a sight of them; yet, in the
neglect of all the rest, the view of the heavens doth more affect us
with astonishment at the might of God’s arm: these declare his glory,
and “the firmament showeth his handy work” (Ps. xix. 1). And the
Psalmist peculiarly calls them his heavens, and the work of his
fingers (Ps. viii. 3): these were immediately created by God, whereas
many other things in the world were brought into being by the
power of God, yet by the means of the influence of the heavens.

1. His power is the first thing evident in the story of the

creation. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
(Gen. i. 1). There is no appearance of anything in this declaratory
preface, but of power: the characters of wisdom march after in the
distinct formation of things, and animating them with suitable
qualities for an universal good. By heaven and earth, is meant the
whole mass of the creatures: by heaven, all the airy region, with all
the host of it; by the earth, is meant, all that which makes the entire
inferior globe.847 The Jews observe, that in the first of Genesis, in
the whole chapter, unto the finishing the work in six days, God is
called ‫אלהים‬, which is a name of Power, and that thirty‑two times in
that chapter; but after the finishing the six days’ work, he is called
‫האלהים‬, which, according to their notion, is a name of goodness
and kindness: his power is first visible in framing the world, before
his goodness is visible in the sustaining and preserving it. It was by
this name of Power and Almighty that he was known in the first ages
of the world, not by his name, Jehovah (Exod. vi. 3): “And
I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by the name of God
Almighty; but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.” Not
but that they were acquainted with the name, but did not experience
the intent of the name, which signified his truth in the performance
of his promises; they knew him by that name as promising, but they
knew him not by that name, as performing. He would be known by
his name Jehovah, true to his word, when he was about to effect the
deliverance from Egypt; a type of the eternal redemption, wherein
the truth of God, in performing of his first promise, is gloriously
magnified. And hence it is that God is called Almighty more in the
book of Job than in all the Scripture besides, I think about thirty‑two
times, and Jehovah but once, which is Job xii. 9, unless in
Job xxxviii. when God is introduced speaking himself; which is an
argument of Job’s living before the deliverance from Egypt, when
God was known more by his works of creation than by the
performance of his promises, before the name Jehovah was formally
published. Indeed, this attribute of his eternal power, is the first
thing visible and intelligible upon the first glance of the eye upon the
creatures (Rom. i. 20). Bring a man out of the cave where he hath
been nursed, without seeing anything out of the confines of it, and
let him lift up his eyes to the heavens, and take a prospect of that
glorious body, the sun, then cast them down to the earth, and
behold the surface of it, with its green clothing; the first notion
which will start up in his mind from that spring of wonders, is that of
power, which he will at first adore with a religious astonishment. The
wisdom of God in them is not so presently apparent, till after a more
exquisite consideration of his works and knowledge of the properties
of their natures, the conveniency of their situations, and the
usefulness of their functions, and the order wherein they are linked
together for the good of the universe.

2. By this creative power God is often distinguished from all the

idols and false gods in the world. And by this title he sets forth
himself when he would act any great and wonderful work in the
world (Ps. cxxxv. 5, 6): “He is great above all gods,” for “he hath
done whatsoever he pleased in heaven and in earth.” Upon this is
founded all the worship he challengeth in the world, as his peculiar,
glory (Rev. iv. 11): “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, honor,
and power, for thou hast created all things.” And (Rev. x. 6) “I have
made the earth, and created man upon it.” “I, even my hands, have
stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded”
(Isa. xlv. 12). What is the issue (ver. 16)? “They shall be ashamed
and confounded, all of them, that are makers of idols.” And the
weakness of idols is expressed by this title. “The gods that have not
made the heavens and the earth” (Jer. x. 11). “The portion of Jacob
is not like them, for he is the former of all things” (ver. 16). What is
not that God able to do, that hath created so great a world? How
doth the power of God appear in creation?

1st. In making the world of nothing. When we say, the world

was made of nothing, we mean, that there was no matter existent
for God to work upon, but what he raised himself in the first act of
creation. In this regard, the power of God in creation surmounts his
power in providence. Creation supposeth nothing, providence
supposeth something in being. Creation intimates a creature making,
providence speaks a thing already made, and capable of
government, and in government. God uses second causes to bring
about his purposes.
 1. The world was made of nothing. The earth which is described
as the first matter, without any form or ornament, without any
distinction or figures, was of God’s forming in the bulk, before he did
adorn it with his pencil (Gen. i. 1, 2). God, in the beginning, creating
the heaven and the earth, includes two things: First. That those
were created in the beginning of time, and before all other things.
Secondly. That God begun the creation of the world from those
things.848 Therefore before the heavens and the earth there was
nothing absolutely created, and therefore no matter in being before
an act of creation passed upon it. It could not be eternal, because
nothing can be eternal but God; it must therefore have a beginning.
If it had a beginning from itself, then it was before it was. If it acted
in the making itself before it was made, then it had a being before it
had a being; for that which is nothing, can act nothing: the action of
anything supposeth the existence of the thing which acts. It being
made, it was not before it was made; for to be made is to be
brought into being. It was made, then, by another, and that Maker is
God. It is necessary that the First Original of things was from
nothing: when we see one thing to arise from another, we must
suppose an original of the first of each kind; as, when we see a tree
spring up from a seed, we know that seed came out of the bowels of
another tree; it had a parent, it had a master; we must come to
some first, or else we run into an endless maze: we must come to
some first tree, some first seed that had no cause of the same kind,
no matter of it, but was mere nothing. Creation doth suppose a
production from nothing; because, if you suppose a thing without
any real or actual existence, it is not capable of any other production
than from nothing: nothing must be supposed before the world, or
we must suppose it eternal, and that is to deny it to be a creature,
and make it God.849 The creation of spiritual substances, such as
angels and souls, evince this; those things that are purely spiritual,
and consist not of matter, cannot pretend to any original from
matter, and therefore they rose up from nothing. If spiritual things
arose from nothing, much more may corporeal, because they are of
a lower nature than spiritual; and he that can create a higher nature
of nothing, can create an inferior nature of nothing. As bodily things
are more imperfect than spiritual, so their creation may be supposed
easier than that of spiritual. There was as little need of any matter to
be wrought to his hands, to contrive into this visible fabric, as there
was to erect such an excellent order as the glorious cherubims.

2. This creation of things from nothing speaks an infinite power.

The distance between nothing and being hath been alway counted
so great, that nothing but an Infinite Power can make such distances
meet together, either for nothing to pass into being, or being to
return to nothing. To have a thing arise from nothing, was so difficult
a text to those that were ignorant of the Scripture, that they knew
not how to fathom it, and therefore laid it down as a certain rule,
that of nothing, nothing is made; which is true of a created power,
but not of an uncreated and Almighty Power. A greater distance
cannot be imagined than that which is between nothing and
something; that which hath no being, and that which hath; and a
greater power cannot be imagined than that which brings something
out of nothing. We know not how to conceive a nothing, and
afterwards a being from that nothing; but we must remain
swallowed up in admiration of the Cause that gives it being, and
acknowledge it to be without any bounds and measures of greatness
and power.850 The further anything is from being, the more immense
must that power be which brings it into being: it is not conceivable
that the power of all the angels in one can give being to the smallest
spire of grass. To imagine, therefore, so small a thing as a bee, a fly,
a grain of corn, or an atom of dust, to be made of nothing, would
stupefy any creature in the consideration of it, much more to behold
the heavens, with all the troop of stars; the earth, with all its
embroidery; and the sea, with all her inhabitants of fish; and man,
the noblest creature of all, to arise out of the womb of mere
emptiness. Indeed, God had not acted as an almighty Creator, if he
had stood in need of any materials but of his own framing: it had
been as much as his Deity was worth, if he had not had all within
the compass of his own power that was necessary to operation; if he
must have been beholden to something without himself, and above
himself, for matter to work upon: had there been such a necessity,
we could not have imagined him to be omnipotent, and,
consequently, not God.

3. In this the power of God exceeds the power of all natural and
rational agents. Nature, or the order of second causes, hath a vast
power; the sun generates flies and other insects, but of some
matter, the slime of the earth or a dunghill; the sun and the earth
bring forth harvests of corn, but from seed first sown in the earth;
fruits are brought forth, but from the sap of the plant; were there no
seed or plants in the earth, the power of the earth would be idle,
and the influence of the sun insignificant; whatsoever strength either
of them had in their nature, must be useless without matter to work
upon. All the united strength of nature cannot produce the least
thing out of nothing; it may multiply and increase things, by the
powerful blessing God gave it at the first erecting of the world, but it
cannot create. The word which signifies creation, used in Gen. i. 1, is
not ascribed to any second cause, but only to God; a word, in that
sense, as incommunicable to anything else as the action it signifies.
Rational creatures can produce admirable pieces of art from small
things, yet still out of matter created to their hands. Excellent
garments may be woven, but from the entrails of a small silkworm.
Delightful and medicinal spirits and essences may be extracted, by
ingenious chemists, but out of the bodies of plants and minerals. No
picture can be drawn without colors; no statue engraven without
stone; no building erected without timber, stones, and other
materials: nor can any man raise a thought without some matter
framed to his hands, or cast into him. Matter is, by nature, formed to
the hands of all artificers; they bestow a new figure upon it, by the
help of instruments, and the product of their own wit and skill, but
they create not the least particle of matter; when they want it, they
must be supplied or else stand still, as well as nature, for none of
them, or all together, can make the least mite or atom: and when
they have wrought all that they can, they will not want some to find
a flaw and defect in their work. God, as a Creator, hath the only
prerogative to draw what he pleases from nothing, without any
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