and bless God for preserving his People and performing his Promises to them and 't is apparent by the Apostle that Angels are present in the Congregation of the Saints 1 Cor. 11.11 And so this Text addeth another Ground for their admiration of the great God viz. his incomparable excellency His high and matchless Perfections call for high and matchless Praises Others take the Text as a ground for the confirmation of the Psalmists Faith in the Covenant God had made with him mentioned Verse 3 4. namely God's Superiority over Angels in Heaven and Men on Earth therefore they cannot hinder him in the accomplishment of his Word being infinitely inferior to him Who in the Heavens Who in the Skie Ainsworth reads it In the Clouds in Nubibus aequabitur is to be equal'd saith Calvin to Jehovah Quis enim in superiore nube par aestimetur Jehova Who in the higher Clouds is equal to Jehovah so Tremell reads it Who in the Heavens i. e. say some in the Starry-Heavens among the Coelestial Bodies Sun Moon or Stars which were adored as gods not onely by the Persians but also by some Idolatrous Jews because of their brightness and beauty their lustre and glory Which of all those famous Lamps and heavenly Luminaries is to be compared to the Father of Lights and Sun of Righteousness They may glister like Glowormes in the Night of Paganisme among them who are covered with the Mantle of Darkness but when this Sun ariseth and day appeareth they all vanish and disappear Who in the Heavens i. e. say others in the Heaven of Heavens the highest the third Heavens among the Coelestial Spirits Cherubims and Seraphims Angels and Arch-Angels Principalities and Powers Thrones and Dominions Who among the innumerable company of Angels who among those pure those perfect Spirits who are the ancientest the honourablest House of the Creation is to be compared to the Father of Spirits Though Angels are glorious Creatures considered simply and in themselves in respect of their Power Wisdome Purity and Beauty yet if they be considered comparatively with the blessed God I may say of them as the Apostle doth of the Jewish Worship which was glorious by reason of its Divine Institution in comparison with the Christian Worship 2 Cor. 3.10 Even that which was glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the Glory that excelleth Is to be compared to Jehovah Is to be likened to Jehovah Is to be equal'd to Jehovah Is to be put in the Scales and worthy to be weighed with Jehovah that Being of Beings that God of Gods To Jehovah This name Jehovah is the chief and most proper name of God It is derived from Haiah fuit and signifieth that Being which was is and is to come which is alwayes the same and the cause of all other Beings Rev. 1.4 6. Psal 102.28 Acts 17.28 and which gives a being to his Word and Promises In Heaven there is among glorious Angels no such Being Who amongst the Sons of the Mighty Inter filios fortium Who among the Sons of the strong Jun. reads it Among the Sons of the Gods saith Calvin so the Seventy read it and understand with the Chaldee Paraphrase Angels who are called Sons of God Job 1.6 and Job 38.7 But we having understood Angels the best and highest in Heaven by the first interrogation Who in the Heavens is to be compared to the Lord It may be most convenient to understand in this place by Sons of the Mighty the best and highest on Earth the greatest and most gracious Princes and Potentates who are higher by head and shoulders then others These are called Gods and Sons of the most High or Almighty Psal 82.6 And hereby the Prophet challengeth both Worlds Heaven and Earth to bring forth any that may equal or compare with Jehovah Can be likened to the Lord Is such a Being as he is can speak or act as he doth is in any respect worthy to be named with him CHAP. II. God is incomparable 1. In his Being THe Doctrine which I shall raise out of the words is this That God is incomparable Or there is none among the highest the holiest in Heaven or Earth like unto Jehovah Take the greatest the most excellent of Beings in this or the other World yet they come infinitely short of this Being of Beings Psal 86.8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee O Lord Mark the Psalmist doth not choose a weak Adversary for God to contend with and conquer but the strongest He doth not compare God with the meanest and lowest but even with the highest and prefers God before them Among the gods there is none like unto thee O Lord. 1. Among those that are Gods by unjust usurpation as evil Angels are who are called The Princes of the Powers of the Air Eph. 2.2 And the gods of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 Or as Antichrist who exalteth himself above all that is called God or is worshipped So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God 2 Thess 2.4 Among these there is none like unto thee O Lord. These unclean Beasts are unworthy to be mentioned with the High the holy God 2. Among those that are gods by mens erroneous Perswasions and Opinions as Idols and those Deities which the Heathen worship There is none like to thee O Lord. Their Idols are Silver and Gold the Work of mens hands They have Mouths but they speak not Eyes have they but they see not They have Ears but they hear not Noses have they but they smell not They have Hands but they handle not Feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their Throat Psal 115.4 5 6 7. Idols are the work of the Creatures and their Makers are infinitely below the Creator therefore they themselves are much more We know that an Idol is nothing in the World and that there is none other God but one 1 Cor. 8.4 Though an Idol be somewhat materially yet it 's nothing formally as to the intent or purpose for which it is worshipped 3. Minuisti illum paululum à deo Calvin Among those that are gods by Divine Ordination as Angels Psal 8.5 Magistrates Psal 82.66 who have the Image of a Deity stamped on them in their Authority and Dominion over others none is to be compared to Jehovah These are gods by derivation by deputation as subordinate Magistrates are commissionated by the Supreme and have a Beam of his Power communicated to them but still remain weak Creatures limited by his Precepts and liable to his Judgment So Angels and Kings have some impressions of a Deity on them but their Power is derivative from God and limited by his will yea their Essence is from him their Subsistence is by him and their Dependance is every moment upon him Hence he is called the most high Psal 92.1 O thou most high Kings and Princes are high Angels and Arch-angels are higher
but Jehovah onely is the most high Eccles 5.8 He that is higher then the highest considereth For the explication of this Doctrine the truth of it will be evident if we consider the true God and compare him with the highest and most excellent in Heaven and Earth 1. In his Being 2. In his Attributes 3. In his Works 4. In his Word 1. God is incomparable in his Being God hath not onely a Being but an excellency in his Being therefore he is called His Excellency Should not his Excellency make you afraid Job 13.11 And he is said alone to be Excellent Thy Name alone is Excellent Psal 148.13 By Name is meant sometimes any thing whereby God makes himself known Exod. 20.7 But here the Being of God or God himself as Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower i. e. God himself is a strong Tower Psal 76.1 His Name is great in Israel i. e. The Being of the great God is magnified in his Church or among his Chosen Now his Being alone is excellent because there is no such Being as his There is no Being excellent besides his because there is no Being excellent like his He is excellent in all above all and beyond all His Being is such a Being that he alone is and all besides are non entities and no Beings in comparison of him His Name speaks the incomparable nature of his Being And God said unto Moses Thus shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel I am hath sent thee I am I a Being that really is beside whom there is none hath sent thee What Prince what Potentate can say I am What Angel what Arch-Angel can say I am No this is the proper name of Jehovah Therefore when he promiseth himself to be the Reward of his People he doth promise himself under the Notion of Essence Being Substance in opposition to all others which are but Shadows and Nothings to him Prov. 2.7 He layeth up sound Wisdom Hebr. essentiam Essence for the Righteous Prov. 8.21 I will cause them that love me to inherit Substance Junius reads it Vt posside aut id quod est I will cause them that love me to possess that which is God is and all other Beings are not in comparison of him Dan. 4.35 All the Inhabitants of the Earth are reputed as Nothing God is and all others are Nothing yea if it were possible to apprehend it less then Nothing It 's a notable expression of the Holy Ghost to set forth the excellency of Gods Being and the pitifulness meanness and nothingness of all other Beings Isa 40.15 16 17. Behold a note of Attention and Admiration the Nations the Chaldeans that are our Lords and Masters or all Nations of the World be they never so high great strong or glorious are as the drop of a Bucket which falleth from the Bucket or hangeth on it when the water is powred out yet diminisheth not the measure and the small dust of the Ballance which cleaveth to the Scales when the Spice is put out yet altereth not the weight it is so little Behold wonder be amazed at it he taketh up the Isles the great large vast Islands of the World as a very little thing as poor small inconsiderable things All Nations before him are as nothing Not onely the great Islands but also the Continents with the several innumerable Creatures in them are not onely little to this God but as nothing as no Being to his Being and they are counted to him less then Nothing and Vanity Put them in the Scales with God and they are not only leight and without any weight Nothing at all but if Men were capable of concieving any thing less then nothing such were all the World to God Though the World be absolutely somewhat yea very great yet comparatively to God it 's nothing less then Nothing and Vanity CHAP. III. The incomparableness of God in his Being It is from its self for its self and wholly independent THe incomparableness of the Divine Being will appear in several particulars 1. His Being is from himself No Being in the World beside his is its own Cause or Original Angels Men the highest yea the lowest Creatures are derivative Beings They have what they are from another even from God They are drops that flow from the Ocean of all Beings they are Rays derived from the Sun the Fountain of Light and Entity The Apostle tells us That Men are beholden to God for their Beings Acts 17.28 In him we have our Beings They were nothing till he spake them into something He formed and fashioned their Bodies Psal 139. 13 14 15. He created and infused their Souls He put that Heaven-born Inhabitant into the House of Clay Gen. 2.7 Job 10.11 12. The whole visible World is his Workmanship Acts 17.24 God that made the World and all things therein The invisible World are also the effects of his powerful word Angels as well as Men may thank him for what they are The greatest Angel is as much bound to him for his Being as the smallest Atome Coloss 1.16 For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers But God is beholden to none for his Being He was when none else was even from eternity Psal 90.1 Therefore none could contribute the least to his Being I am Jehovah and there is none else besides me Isa 45.5 6. I am he that giveth a being to himself that am what I am from my self and of my self and there is no such Being beside me 2. God is Being that is for himself as he is his own first Cause so he is his own last end as he is wholly from himself so he is wholly for himself All other Beings are not for themselves but for another All things were created by him and for him Coloss 1.16 Since all are from God it is but reason that all should be for God The Rivers that run from the Sea return to the Sea again owning and acknowledging their Original Eccles 1.7 Good Men are for God None of us liveth to himself or dyeth to himself but whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord and whether we live or dye we are the Lords Rom. 14.7 Good Angels are for God for his glory Isa 6.3 Evil Men evil Angels are for God though not in their intentions and purposes yet in his intention and by his wise powerful Government of them and their practices Prov. 16.4 The Lord made all things for himself even the Wicked for the day of Slaughter Good Beings are for him intentionally and evil Beings are for him eventually Nay all Beings are for him Of him and through him and for him are all things Rom. 11.36 But God is altogether for himself as his highest end and not for any others He is his own end as well as
somtimes he calls it the glorious Gospel 2 Cor. 4.4 the mysteries of the Gospel Eph. 6.19 the word of Truth 1 Coloss 5. Praise him by walking circumspectly and closely with him Live alwayes as one that believeth he hath at all times to do with this incomparable God and is created and preserved and redeemed to shew forth the praise of this God When the Psalmist had admired the incomparableness of this God in his being and doings Psal 86.8 he presently subjoyns v. 9. All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and glorifie thy name and worship before thee For thou art great and dost wondrous things thou art God alone O Friend this incomparable God must have incomparable obedience Be still and know that I am God Psal 46.10 Be still be quiet O sinner cease forbear any farther to offend me and know that I am God incomparable in knowledge acquainted with all thy wayes and works inward outward secret private publick incomparable in holiness and perfectly hate all thy wickedness incomparable in power able to revenge my self on thee every moment to turn thee body and soul into hell incomparable in justice and will by no means clear the guilty yet incomparable in mercy and will accept and receive Prodigals that sensible of their folly and filthiness return home to me their Father in the Son of my love Be still sinner Know this that I am God and obey my Laws But I have spoken more fully of this in the informations only remember that the praise of thy life is the life of thy praise because hereby thou dost in some measure represent the excellencies of this incomparable God visible to the world 1 Pet. 2.9 Math. 5.18 Offering praise and ordering the conversation aright are joyned together by God himself and let not us part them asunder Psal 50. last verse but one To help thee a little that thou mayst give God the praise of his incomparable perfections Consider 1. This God is excellency it self he is not only excellent Psal 8.1 and alone excellent Psal 148.13 but excellency Job 13.11 Should not his excellency make thee affraid nay he is greatness of excellency Exod. 15.7 nothing but excellency 1 Joh. 1.6 Now think with thy self what honour is due to one that is excellent alone excellent excellency it self and nothing but excellency Can thy highest honour be high enough or thy most excellent praises be excellent enough for such an excellency 2. This God is the standard of all excellency Nothing is excellent but because of its relation or likeness to him Every thing is more or less excellent as it is more or less related or conformable to him Saints are the excellent of the earth Psal 16.3 more excellent than their neighbours Prov. 12.26 but it is because of his affection to them Since thou art precious in my sight thou art honourable The excellency of Jacob whom he loved Isa 43.4 and because of their relation and likeness to him Deut. 33.29 1 Pet. 2.9 Psal 48.2 3. The Scriptures are the most excellent of books none like them I have written unto thee excellent things Prov. 22.20 But what 's the reason Surely because they are the word of God Eph. 3.16 his mind 2 Cor. 2. ult All Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.18 The Sabbath is the most excellent of days the queen of days the golden spot of the week because it is his day set apart by him and devoted to him My holy day the holy of the Lord honourable Isa 58.13 Grace is excellent the beauty and glory of the creature Prov. 4.7 2 Cor. 3.18 more excellent than gold or fine gold than rubies or pearls Prov. 3.14 15. but why because it 's his Image it 's a conformity to his nature 2 Pet. 1.4 2 Cor. 3.18 When the Holy Ghost would render any thing excellent he mentions it with relation to God The Cedars of God the City of God the Trees of God the Mountains of God c. that is the most excellent Cedars Cities Trees and Mountains 3. He is so excellent that even Angels vail their faces in his presence The excellent Cherubims Seraphims who are spotless in their natures and faultless in their lives who are the highest and honourablest and ancientest House of the Creation who as his special friends and favourites are allowed to wait on him continually to behold him face to face and to enjoy him fully and perfectly yet these Angels vail their faces before him as it were ashamed of their Star-light in the Presence of the Sun and their drops in the presence of the Ocean Isa 6.1 2 3. I saw the Lord sitting on a Throne high and lifted up about it stood the Seraphims each had six wings with twain he did fly with twain he cover'd his feet with twain he cover'd his face To cover the face is a sign or fruit of bashfulness as in Rebekah Gen. 24.65 The face of an Angel is void of all spots and wrinkles it is full of beauty and brightness a most excellent face And all the Councel looking stedfastly on him beheld his face as if it had been the face of an Angel Acts 6. ult yet this face as excellent as it is they cover as it were ashamed of it before that God who alone is excellent 4. He is so incomparably excellent that he humbleth himself to take notice of his perfect Spirits his heavenly host and their perfect Service in Heaven It is not only great and infinite condescention with him to observe the highest persons on earth as Kings and Princes and the holiest persons on earth as the most eminent Saints and the highest and holiest performances of these Saints but it is boundless humiliation in him to look upon with the least respect the perfect Spirits of just men the Principalities and Powers that are in Heaven and their pure perfect Worship and Service Psal 113.5 6. Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven 5. He is so incomparably excellent that he is above the highest adoration and worship of his Creatures Worship is the most high and honourable of all our works Blessing and Praising God is the most high and honourable act of worship therefore this is that part of worship which suits the highest and honourablest state of the Creature in Heaven and must continue for ever As all our graces of faith and hope and patience c. shall e're long be melted into love and joy and delight so all our duties of Confession Petition Hearing and Reading the Word receiving the Sacraments shall all be melted into Praise and Thanksgiving Rev. 7.11 12. And the Angels and Elders that stood about the throne fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped saying Amen Blessing and honour and thanksgiving be unto our God for ever and therefore David calls upon Angels and the Heavenly Host to praise God Psal
the matter but man's work cannot make the matter exceed it self But God can not onely make the matter to exceed it self as in man who is formed of the Dust of the Earth he hath such curious Parts Veins Sinews Arteries c. such Members Eyes Cheeks Ears c. Such Characters of Beauty in the whole that he looks nothing like his Parent Earth the matter of which he was made but also make matter He hath brought something nay all things out of nothing All the Angels and Men cannot create one grain of Corn one pile of Grass one mote of Dust but the great God hath erected the stately Fabrick of Heaven and the Earth with the curious steps and stories thereof and the various Creatures and Furniture therein of nothing Hereby he proves himself the true God The living God that made Heaven and Earth all things therein Act. 14.15 He proves his Deity hereby Jer. 10.10 11 12. The gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth shall perish from the Earth and from under the Heavens He hath made the Earth by his Power He hath established the World by his Wisdom and stretched out the Heavens by his discretion i. e. Can you be so foolish and sottish as to imagine that blind dumb deaf dead Idols can compare with him who created you and all things beside When God would proclaim his Soveraignty and incomparable Excellency he challengeth Job Where wast thou when I laid the Foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast understanding Who hath laid the measures thereof or stretched the line upon it Whereupon are the Foundations thereof set or who laid the corner-stone thereof Job 38.4 5. God would here denote the exactness and acurateness of his Works and so he alludes to men who when they would set up a strong stately neat compact Dwelling lay the Foundations and corner Stones and all the rest by line and measure But that which God would principally intimate here is his own Omnipotency and mans Impotency Where wast thou when I laid the Foundations of the Earth c. Didst thou then lend me an helping-Head how to do it or an helping-Hand in the doing of it Surely No I did all my self Those innumerable Beings which are on Earth and in the Ocean yea that are included within the vast Circumference of the highest Heavens are all made by him out of nothing Through Faith we believe that the Worlds were made by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things that do appear Heb. 11.3 The great God had no materials to make the great House with he did not frame it of his own Essence or any pre-existent matter Isa 45.12 Yet such admirable qualities are every where intermixt matter and form subject and and accidents power and goodness wisdom and order a rare symmetry exact proportion and beauty in the whole a dependent subordination and useful subserviency in every part so equally poiz'd that it 's hard to determine which bears the greatest weight in the mighty work and gives abundant cause to cry out with the Psalmist O Lord how marvellous are thy Works in Wisdom hast thou made them all Psal 104.24 2. He is incomparable in regard of Providence 1. For Preservation none is like him nay none beside him doth this O thou Preserver of Men Job 7.20 Thy Visitation preserveth my Spirit Job 10.12 God is unlike to Men The Carpenters or Masons build Houses and then leave them to the care and charge of others but God keeps up what he sets up His Providence succeedeth Creation and is indeed a continual Creation Thou preservest Man and Beast Psal 36.6 Not Food or Air or Sleep but Thou preservest Man and Beast And not onely Men and Beasts but all things subsist by him Colos 1.17 That Hand alone which made all can maintain all and that Power onely which produced out of nothing must preserve from nothing Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our beings That Being which gave us our Beings must uphold us in our Beings Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the Word of his Power 1. Sustinendo As a Pillar or sure Foundation upon which they stand The Air which surrounds the Earth and Ocean cannot bear a Feather yet in it hangeth the massy weight of Earth and Sea Job 26.7 He hangeth the Earth i. e. Earth and Sea the terrestrial Globe upon nothing His Power is the only Pillar that bears them up 2. Influendo As a Fountain from which they derive all their virtue and operations The beings and motions of all his Creatures depend wholly upon his concurrence If he suspend his Influence Coctum secundum according to the School-men the Fire will not burn Dan. 3.27 Neither can the best Eyes see though the faculty be well disposed and the object be coloured and at a good distance Gen. 19.7 as hath been hinted before It 's natural to the Sun to run his Race strongly and swiftly yet if he doth not concur as swift as the Sun is he cannot creep a Snails pace he standeth still in Giboah Joshua 10.13 Job 9.7.3 Constringendo As a Soveraign Bond and Ligature by which the parts of all things hold together and are kept as water in a Vessel from flowing abroad to their dissolution No Man no Angel can bear its own weight much less the weight of another Creature Every Creature is like a Glass without a bottom which cannot stand alone but must alwayes be in hand It 's impossible for the Creation or any part of it to bear up a moment if God should forget it and deny his actual concurrence to it It doth constantly depend on God as the Figure of the Seal imprinted on the Water which being with-drawn the impression is instantly defaced God is to the World as the Soul to the Body which alone can actuate and move it without which it cannot stir at all but is as a dead Corps 2. For Gubernation He governeth all and neither Men nor Angels can govern themselves The great Family of the World would soon lose its beauty yea its being if he did not maintain its harmony and concord by guiding them in their motions keeping them in their several stations and directing them to their ends The Lord hath established his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 103.19 One Creature would most cruelly devour another Beasts would prey on Men All Creatures would become their own Enemies and Executioners The whole Earth would be turn'd into an Acheldama and a Golgatha a Field of Bloud and Place of Skulls yea into an Hell if he did not order and guide and govern all Treasons Incest Slaughters Parricides would over-whelm the whole World pervert the order of Nature turn all into Confusion and Destruction if he did not keep the Reins in his own Hands and govern all things in every of their actions every moment He governeth the highest even the
A TREATISE OF THE Incomparableness of God In his BEING ATTRIBUTES WORKS and WORD opened and applyed By Geo. Swinnocke M. A. Sometime Preacher of the Gospel at great Kimbell in the County of Bucks Vera cognitio Dei est virtus pâ—r quam non modo concipimus esse aliquem Deum sed etiam tenemus quod de eo scire nostra interest ut eum recte colamus Polan Syntag. Theolog. lib. 9. cap. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 17.3 LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers Chappel 1672. TO THE WORSHIPFVL Henry Ashhurst Junior Esq And to the HONOVRABLE LADY Diana Ashhurst HIS Religious CONSORT SVch is the excellency of the Soul of Man that the very Heathen whose Souls were almost wholly immerst in grease and sensuality and serv'd but as Salt to preserve their Bodies for a time from putrefaction according to the Opinion of one of the most ingenious among them have acknowledged it a Divine Plant a drop of the Ocean of Beings a Ray of a Deity and the Body but the Case or Cabinet of this Jewel The dim Rush-light of Nature hath enabled some of them to discern the spirituality quick comprehensive self-reflective motions and immortality of their specifical forms as they called their Souls and thence to conclude their worth and nobleness But the clear Sun-light of Scripture advantageth unto a fuller discovery of its excellency It shews us its Original that it is of Celestial extraction created immediately by the Father of Spirits a beam of the Sun of Righteousness a bubble of the Fountain of Life of a much higher descent then the House of Clay and earthly Tabernacle the Body Gen. 2.7 Heb. 12.9 Zach. 12.1 It acquaints us with its duration that it runs parallel with the line of eternity and swallows up Years and Ages and Generations and thousands of thousands and millions of millions as small drops and minutes and nothings in the bottomless Ocean and endlesness of its abode and continuance When the Body like the Sacrifice falleth to the Earth and is turned into ashes the Soul like the Flame aspireth and ascendeth to God Eccles 12.7 Philip. 1.23 Math. 10.28 Math. 22.31 32. It manifesteth the Souls capacity how no Being is excepted from its consideration all are within its compass and horizon It can view every with its intellectual Eye It is not bounded with corporeal Beings nor limited with material Objects nor circumscribed with created Essences but is capable of apprehending the first Cause the Being of Beings the Original of all things It is able not only to retrospect upon its own motions and to survey the several parts and ranks and orders and rarities and delicacies and excellencies of the Earth and this sublunary World but also to ascend to the highest Heavens and behold the beautiful Face of the blessed God till it hath lookt it self into the very likeness and thereby rendred it self fit and meet for his dearest Love and eternal Embraces The excellency of our Souls doth eminently appear in its receptiveness of the Divine Image Great Princes do not stamp their Image on mean things as Brass and Pewter but on the most excellent metals as Silver and Gold Eph. 4.23 24. Coloss 3.10 Gen. 1.26 And its capableness of enjoying immediately the blessed God To stand before Kings doth both speak and make a person honourable and worthy Prov. 22.29 Isa 43.5 God alone is the Fountain of Honour and the Standard of Excellency Every Being is his Coin and he stampeth on it the rate it shall go at The Holiness and Happiness of the rational Creature consisteth in these two His Holiness in conformity to God his Happiness in communion with him And these two have a dependance on each other They onely who are like him can enjoy him If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and the Truth is not in us 1 John 1.5 Holiness or the Image of God is not onely an indispensable condition without which no man shall enjoy God Heb. 12.14 John 3.3 But withall an absolutely necessary disposition without which no man can enjoy God Coloss 1.12 2 Cor. 5. And as Conformity disposeth for Communion so Communion increaseth Conformity Vision causeth assimulation in Nature Gen. 31.38 39. Grace 2 Cor. 3.18 And glory 1 John 3.2 Though the motions of the Vnderstanding and Will are in some respect circular yet the Vnderstanding is the first mover and the leading faculty and so the knowledge of the blessed God is both antecedent to and productive of this Image Though the knowledge of Creatures puffeth up polluteth and so debaseth and destroyeth the Soul sinking it the deeper into Hell as a Vessel laden with Silver and Gold and the most precious Commodities when it miscarrieth sinketh the deeper for its weight and burden 1 Cor. 8.1 Luke 12.47 48. Yet the Knowledge of God is humbling advancing purifying and saving Job 42. 2 Peter 3.18 John 17.3 The incomparable excellency of the boundless blessed God is the Subject of this Treatise which I present to you both as a Testimony of the Honour and Service I owe to you and of my desire to be instrumental for your spiritual and eternal good The Subject is the highest imaginable and though the manner of handling it be plain and ordinary and infinitely below and unbecoming the Divine Majesty For who can express his noble Acts or display all his Praise Psal 108.2 yet the matter of it doth deserve and may prevail for your acceptance of it If Knowledge be the excellency of a Man and differenceth him from a Beast surely then Divine Knowledge or the Knowledge of God in Christ is the excellency of a Christian and differenceth him from other Men. Our awe of love to and trust in the Divine Majesty are founded in the right knowledge of him Creatures the more they are known the less they are esteemed but the more the blessed God is known the more he is prized desired and obeyed Psal 73.25 Psal 76.7 Psal 90.11 Psal 9.10 Our hatred of Sin and contempt of the World proceed from our acquaintance with God He onely hath hateful thoughts of Sin and self-loathing apprehensions because of it who hath seen the great and glorious the good and gracious God whose Authority is contemned whose Law is violated whose Name is dishonoured whose Image is defaced and whose Love is abused by it Job 42.6 Isa 6.5 He onely lives above this present evil World and all the Riches and Honours and Pleasures thereof who can look beyond it to the infinite God and those unsearchable Riches and Weights of Glory and Rivers of Pleasures that are in and with him That which was rich and glorious and pleasant to a Soul before hath now no worth no glory no pleasure by reason of that wealth and glory and pleasure which doth so infinitely exceed When the
God of Glory appeared to Abraham he quickly and quietly left his Country and Kindred and followed God not knowing whither he went Gent 12.1 2. Acts 7.3 If the God of Glory appear to your Souls you will soon wink upon these withering Vanities broken Cisterns and gilded Nothings and count them all but Dung and Dross for the excellency of the Knowledge of him in Christ. You have begun well go on and persevere in well-doing I shall give you the same Counsel which the Holy Apostle giveth to those of whom he was perswaded that they had those things which accompanied Salvation Heb. 6.9 Take heed least there be in you an evil heart of unbelief whereby ye should depart away from the living God Heb. 3.12 Look diligently least ye should fail of the Grace of God Heb 12.15 When false Coin is common abroad we are the more careful what Money we take when much false Grace is up and down amongst us and so many please themselves with their Profession or spiritual Priviledges or sacred Performances or siding with this or that Party form of Worship or the respect and repute they have with others It concerns you to be the more suspicious of your Selves least you should fail of that Grace of God which conformeth the Heart to the nature and the life to the Will and Law of God SIR YOu are descended of a worthy ancient and religious Family Your Grand-Father as I have heard was eminent for Holiness Your Father is noted and honoured for one that feareth God above many you have hereby the more encouragement advantage and engagement to exercise your self to godliness Tamerlane made it his practice to read often the Heroick Deeds of his Progenitors not as proud of them or boasting in them but as glorious Patterns to inflame his Soul with a love of their Vertues Man is a Creature that is led more by the Eye then the Ear by Patterns then by Precepts and no Patterns are more prevalent then of those whom Nature and Grace oblige us to esteem and affect These examples above all others as flaming Beacons on an Hill call us to a stout defence of Vertue when it 's invaded by its Enemies Alexander finding one of his Name cowardly charged him to change his Name or to become valiant When one of the Scipio's descended of Scipio Affrican became dissolute The Roman Senate order'd him to put off that Ring which he wore as the Badge of his Noble Family because by his vicious Life he was a Reproach to it The truth is a wicked Son of a godly Father as Uriah carrieth Letters of his own condemnation about him causing the Patterns and Precepts of his Family to be Auxiliaries to his own reproach and infamy whilst the light and lustre of his Ancestors renders his works of darkness the more gross and palpable I mention not these things as suspecting your integrity but to provoke and quicken you to the greater care and circumspection in your carriage and conversation MADAM YOur Birth is ††Daughter to the Right Honourable the Lord Paget Honourable but such Honour without Holinesse extends not beyond the Meridian of this World Grace onely is eternal Glory That Honour which is woven in the finest Tapestry of earthly Priviledges will lose colour and fade away but the Knowledge of God is a possession for ever Nobility by Parents is but Nobility by Parchment and that is but skin-deep at most and will wast with time Godliness alone is that Nobility which no Age can consume and which will run paralell with the line of eternity The whole Earth hath not a pleasanter sight then Greatness joyn'd with Goodnesse Greatness it self is venerable but Goodness joyn'd with it addeth a new Splendour and lustre to it as a sparkling Diamond set in a Gold-Ring it attracteth the Eyes and challengeth a greater reverence and respect from all Evil Greatnesse is a swelling Dropsie a Disease of the Body Politick as intolerable a burden as the Earth groanes under but Grace and Vertue are the more excellent and amiable by the greatnesse of the Person in whom they dwell It will be your Crown and Credit to prefer God before the World to esteem Holinesse as the onely Beauty and a Title to the Covenant as the onely Riches of your immortal Soul Ye have both near and dear Relations whose Hearts will rejoyce in your perseverance and progress in the wayes of God's Commandements That you may be helps to each other in the best things provoke one another to love and to good Works live long together on Earth and for ever together in Heaven is the prayer Of your Servant in the Lord Geo. Swinnocke The several CHAPTERS IN THIS TREATISE CHapter 1. The Preface and Coherence of the Text Page 1. Chap. 2. God incomparable in his Being pag. 11. Chap. 3. God incomparable in his Being as from himself for himself and wholly independent on any other pag. 17. Chap. 4. God incomparable in his Being as it is absolutely perfect universal and unchangeable pag. 23. Chap. 5. God incomparable in his Being as it is eternal and without composition pag. 33. Chap. 6. God incomparable in his Being as it is infinite and incomprehensible pag. 40. Chap. 7. God incomparable in his Attributes his Holiness and Wisdom pag. 51. Chap. 8. God incomparable in his Attributes in his Knowledge and Faithfulness pag. 76. Chap. 9. God incomparable in his Mercy and Patience pag. 88. Chap. 10 God incomparable in his Attributes as they are from him as they are his Essence as they are all one in him as they are in him in an infinite manner pag. 99. Chap. 11. God incomparable in his Works Creation and Providence pag. 106. Chap. 12. God incomparable in the Work of Redemption He can do all things pag. 124. Chap. 12. God incomparable in the manner of his working He worketh irresistibly arbitrarily pag. 133. Chap. 13. God incomparable in his working He doth it with the greatest ease and without any help pag. 141. Chap. 14. God is incomparable in his Word in its Authority Condescension and Efficacy pag. 154. Chap. 15. God is incomparable in his Word Purity Mysteries Phophesies pag. 165. Chap. 16. God incomparable in his Word as it is converting affrighting and comforting pag. 174. Chap. 17. How great is the malignity of Sin which contemneth dishonoureth and opposeth this God pag. 182. Chap. 19. Shewing how great is the madness and misery of impenitent Sinners pag. 193. Chap. 21. How moustrous is their Pride who compare themselves with the incomparable God pag. 209. Chap. 22. Incomparable Worship and Service due to God pag. 217. Chap. 23. Motives to acquaintance with the incomparable God the knowledge of whom is sanctifying satisfying and saving pag. 237. Chap. 24. Means of acquaintance with God a sense of our ignorance attendance on the Word servent Prayer Chap. 25. Exhort to choose God for our Portion Chap. 26. Give God the glory of his incomparable
Excellency with some Considerations to enforce it Chap. 27. Comforts to those that have this incomparable God for their Portion PSALM 89.6 For who in the Heavens can be compared to the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened to the Lord. CHAP. I. The Preface and meaning of the Text. IT is certain that our happiness in the other World will consist in part in our perfect knowledge of the blessed and boundlesse God When we shall know him as we are known of him we shall be blessed as he is blessed and when we shall see him as he is we shall be like him in purity and felicity we shall be fully satisfied with his likeness and his love Rich must be the delight which the most large and noble faculty of man his understanding shall receive in its intimate acquaintance with and clear full apprehension of the highest Truth And it is as certain that our holiness in this World doth not a little depend upon our knowledge of him whose Name alone is excellent None wander from him prefer the Flesh and World before him and in their whole lives walk contrary to him but from their ignorance of him They are estranged from the life of God i. e. a spiritual heavenly conversation through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their Hearts Eph. 4.18 Dark corners of an House are filled with Dust dark Cellars with Vermine and dark Hearts with cursed Lusts None are enlarged in desires after God or ravished with delight in God or can cast their Souls and all their Concerns on God but those that are acquainted with him They who know his beauty and bounty cannot but love him and they who know his power and faithfulness cannot but trust him They who know thy Name will put their trust in thee Psal 9.10 Whence comes it to pass that Believers can trample on the Riches and Treasures and Wealth of this beggarly World that they can lay their white and yellow Earth their Silver and Gold at the Apostles Feet that they can suffer the spoiling of their Goods not onely patiently but joyfully Heb. 10.34 but from the knowledge of him who is true riches Luke 16.11 Substance Prov. 8.21 an enduring Substance Job 10.34 A bottomless Mine of unsearchable Riches Eph. 3.8 Whence is it that they can refuse to be called the Sons of Kings Daughters that they can contemn Honours and Preferments spurn Crowns and Scepters under their Feet but from the knowledge of him who is their Crown of Glory their Diadem of Renown and the praise of all his Saints Heb. 11.24 25. That which to the sensual Worldling is so glorious hath no glory in the Believers Eye by reason of the Lord of Glory who doth so infinitely excel Whence is it that they can hate Father Mother Wife Child Liberty yea Life it self and leave all at the Call and Command of their Maker but from the knowledge of him who is as Elkanah said to Hannah better to them then ten Sons then all Relations then the whole Creation Those Stars vanish and disappear when once this Sun of Righteousness ariseth How quickly how quietly without any hesistancy or reluctancy will Abraham leave his Country and Kindred and Fathers House when once the God of Glory appeareth to him Acts 9.2 3 4. In a word whence is it that they escape the pollutions of the World in which others are mired drown'd and destroyed but through the knowledge of God 2 Pet. 2.20 Well may our Lord Jesus say It is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent To know God affectionately as our chiefest good so as to give him our superlative esteem and intensest love is spiritual life here in the habit or principle as also in the act and exercise of it and it is the beginning seed preparation way of our eternal life hereafter But who can know that being which infinitely passeth all knowledge He that would know God fully must be God himself and he who would tell you what God is in any measure answerable to his excellency had need to know him as he is known of him And supposing I were able to speak of the perfection of God as one that like the great Apostle had been caught up into the third Heavens I question whether if I had a Tongue to speak of him after that manner ye had Ears to hear of him or Hearts to understand what I should speak But though I am not able to speak nor you to hear of God according to his perfection yet through the assistance of the Holy Ghost so much may be spoken and heard of him as may tend to our present Sanctification and future Salvation Though we cannot see him as he is yet we may see him as he is not though the height of his being be above the reach of our Understandings we may get some-what nearer to him and indeed we have no other way while we are here then by climbing upon the shoulders of all created excellencies and there proclaiming That none in the Heavens is to be compared to the Lord that none among the Sons of the Mighty is like unto the Lord. In the words the Psalmist compareth God with and prefereth God before the highest the greatest in Heaven and Earth In the words we have a Comparison and a Praelation 1. A Comparison and this is between God and those that are most excellent in Heaven and the mightiest on Earth 2. A Praelation or preferring God before whatsoever is excellent in Heaven or Earth The Interrogation is a strong negation as is frequent in Scripture Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my Heart clean I am pure from my Sin i. e. None can say I have made my Heart clean or am pure from my Sin So Exod. 15.11 Who is like to thee O Lord among the gods Who is like thee glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises doing Wonders that is None is like Thee among the gods none is so glorious in Holiness so fearful in Praises such a wonder-working God as thou art Thus the Psalmist understandeth the Text For who in the Heavens is to be compared to the Lord Who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened to the Lord i. e. None in the Heavens none among the Sons of the Mighty on Earth is comparable to Jehovah The interpretation of the words I shall first give you the meaning of the words and then lay down the Doctrine which will be the foundation of my Discourse on the Subject For this causal Particle gives the reason why Saints and Angels should joyn together in the praise of God The Heavens shall praise thy Wonders O Lord Verse 5. thy faithfulness also in the Congregation of the Saints For who in the Heavens is to be compared to the Lord. By the Heavens Calvin understandeth the holy Angels who rejoyce in the Churches welfare
duration they enjoy part to day part to morrow part the next day every moment addeth to their duration what is past they do not enjoy nor what is to come but onely what is present and thus it is also with Souls of Saints in Heaven 8. God is a simple Being In this I take simplicity not as opposed to Wisdom for in him are all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Coloss 2.9 but as simplicity is opposed to mixture and compositon Thus there is a simplicity in the Gospel 2 Cor. 12.3 So any thing the more simple it is the more excellent it is God is a most pure simple unmixed indivisible Essence he is uncapable of the least composition and therefore of the least division He is one most pure one without all parts members accidents and qualities Whatsoever is in him is himself his very Being therefore that which is a quality in a Man or Angel is attributed to God in the abstract Men and Angels are wise but God is wisdom Prov. 9.1 Men and Angels are holy but God is Holiness Isa 63.15 God is all Essence all Being and nothing else But how unlike are Men or Angels to God in this Man is a grosly compounded being he is compounded of a Body and a Soul Gen. 2.7 His body is compounded of members and parts his members and parts are compounded of bones and bloud and flesh and skin and sinews Job 10.11 His Soul is compounded and so are the highest Angels of substance and accidents of essence and faculties the substance of Man's Soul and of Angels and their qualities are distinct things Their Wisdome is one thing their Power another thing their Holiness a third thing and all distinct from their Essence An Angel may be an Angel and a Man may be a true Man and yet be foolish weak and wicked Their Understanding differeth from their Wills their Wills differ from their Affections their Affections differ from both and all from their beings But in God all these are one indivisible Essence to will and to understand and to love and to hate and to be are all the same and one in God CHAP. VI. God incomparable in his Being as it is Infinite and Incomprehensible GOd is an infinite Being He is a Being that knoweth no bounds no limits His Being is without all measure all degrees and determinations His Vnderstanding i. e. Himself who is all Understanding is infinite Psal 147.5 God is a Sphear whose center is every where and whose circumference is no where Behold the Heavens and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee how much less this House which I have built 1 Kings 8.27 The starry Heavens or Firmament is large it compasseth the whole Earth and Ocean this terrestial World is but a point to it but the Heaven of Heavens or the emperial Heaven is larger it containeth the lower Heaven but cannot contain the God of Heaven No ubi no place can define or circumscribe him He is neither shut up in any place nor shut out of any place He is above place without place yet in all places Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up into Heaven thou art there If I make my Bed in Hell Heaven and Hell are most opposite places Behold thou art there If I take the wings of the Morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me Psal 139.7 8 9 10. God is in Heaven Earth Sea Hell and infinitely more where there is neither Heaven nor Earth nor Sea nor Hell O what a Being is the blessed God who is boundless not onely in his duration of which we have spoken before and in all his Perfections and Attributes of which we shall speak hereafter but also in his Essence and Being No place can circumscribe him and no ubi can define him He is over all Creatures by his Power and Dominion in you all by his Essence and Influence and through all by his Providence Ephes 4.6 He is every where not onely virtually as the Sun by his beams nor authoritatively as a King by subordinate Officers not at all by multiplication as the Loaves filled that place which they did not before the Miracle or by extention as the rational Creature filleth that place when a Man which he did not when an Infant nor by local motion from one place to another as all bodily animate Creatures or by division as our Bodies are part in one place and part in another or by commixtion as the Air mingleth it self with the terrestrial World but essentially after an unspeakable manner As Philosophers say of the Soul It 's whole in the whole body and whole in every part of the body So I may say of God He is whole in the whole World and whole in every part of the World yea if he should please to make 10000 Worlds he would fill all and his whole Essence be in every part of each World and yet without the least extension or multiplication or motion Homo est in loco circumscriptive Angelus definitive Deus Repletive But are Men or Angels like to God in this Alas they are finite limited Beings less then drops to this Ocean Man is in a small place so as to fill it up by commensuration of parts and to exclude all other Bodies but himself is circumscribed in it Angels though they are not in a place so as to exclude Bodies yet they are in an ubi or space so as to conclude themselves therein they are in a finite compass beyond which their being extendeth not they are so here that they are not there so in Heaven that they are not on Earth at the same time But God is every where in his whole Essence every moment He filleth all in all Eph. 1. ult God is an incomprehensible Being such a Being as no Creature whether Man or Angel can comprehend or perfectly understand This floweth from the former if he be infinite he must of necessity be incomprehensible for a finite Being as all are beside himself can never comprehend what is infinite There is no proportion between a boundless Being and a bounded Understanding But there must be a proportion between the mind of the Creature and that object which is fully understood by it The Sun may be contained in a small chink and the Sea in a Nutshell sooner then God can be contained in the limited understanding of Men or Angels Job 26.14 Lo these are parts of his wayes viz. Hell is naked before him ver 6. He hangeth the Earth upon nothing ver 7. He bindeth up the Waters in his thick Clouds and the Cloud is not rent under them ver 8. He hath compassed the Waters with bounds ver 10. The Pillars of Heaven tremble at his Reproof ver 11. c. but how little a portion is heard of him The Vulgar read it How little
a drop Others A whisper or smallest part of a Voice that which is known of God to that which God is and is in God is but like a drop to the vast Ocean and as a Whisper to a loud terrible Thunder How little a portion is heard of him Surely much is heard of him from the Voice of his Almighty Works of Creation and Providence and especially from the Voice of his Word and his own Mouth in the holy Scriptures But how little is heard of him in comparison of that immense excellency which is in him and which he is Heathens hear somewhat of him Rom. 1.20 21. His Saints on Earth hear much more of him Psal 63.3 4 5 6. Perfect Spirits in Heaven hear most of all of him 2 Cor. 12.3 4. 1 Cor. 13.12 Yet by all these a very little portion is heard of him The Being of God is like the Peace of God which passeth all understanding Philip. 4.7 And like the Love of Christ which passeth all knowledge Ephes 3.19 This onely can be known of God that he can never be known fully and this onely can be comprehended of him that he cannot be comprehended Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection It 's as high as Heaven what canst thou do Deeper then Hell what canst thou know The measure thereof is longer then the Earth and broader then the Sea Job 11.8 9. Canst thou by searching find out God It 's a strong Negation i. e. 'T is impossible by all the help and advantage of Nature and Art and Grace and Diligence yea and perfect Glory too to find out God fully Dost thou a poor mean vile man saith Zophar think to contain and comprehend him whom the Heavens and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain or comprehend Art thou so silly as to conceive that the short line of thy understanding should fadom his bottomless Being It is not in vain for thee to seek him but it is altogether in vain for thee to search him Though he be not far from thee yet he is far above thee and far beyond thee far above thy thoughts and beyond thy conceptions He dwelleth in that Light that is inaccessible whom no man hath seen nor can see 1 Tim. 6.16 They who see him face to face i. e. most clearly and fully see but little of him Clouds and Darkness are in this sense ever about him As in a dark day we see the beams but not the body of the Sun so even in Heaven the highest Angels rather see his rays and beams then his infinite Being Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection Men who seek God may find him Prov. 8.17 Math. 7.7 but they cannot find him to perfection The word for perfection signifieth the height or utmost accomplishment of a thing Somewhat of God may be known but not all They who find out most are far from finding out the utmost of him The Sun and all the coelestial Lights may sooner be grasped in the hollow of mans hand and the vast Hills and Mountains weighed in a pair of common Scales then the Almighty found out to perfection Natural questions soon pose the most learned men the forms even of inanimate Creatures are Riddles to most How frequently do the greatest Schollars betake themselves to secret Sympathies and Antipathies and occult qualities as the Cloak and cover of their Ignorance Eccles 11.5 Canst thou know how the Bones grow of her that is with Child O how much more must Divine questions exceed humane understanding It is as high as Heaven what canst thou do It 's as the highnesses of Heaven Take all the Heights and Elevations all the Spheres and Altitudes of Heaven and try if thou canst reach them with thy short Arm yea climb up the highest Stories the loftiest Pinnacles touch if thou canst the several Orbes yet the knowledge of this God or this God the object of knowledge is above and beyond all What a Fool would he be thought who should undertake to ascend the starry Heavens yet he who would find out God to perfection must climb much higher The Heavens are famous for their height yea the starry Heavens that some wonder that the eyes of man are not tired before they reach them Prov. 25.3 The Heavens for height and the Earth for depth Yet the third Heavens are much higher then they but the most high God is far higher then the highest Heavens Deeper then Hell what canst thou know Heaven and Hell are at the greatest distance and are most remote from our apprehensions Who knoweth what is done in Heaven what in Hell what is enjoyed in the one or suffered in the other no more can any know what God is Who knoweth the nature number order motions influence of the heavenly Bodies something is conjecturally delivered about them nothing certain much less doth any know the number nature order wonder worship of the coelestial Courtiers in the third Heavens of the thousand thousand that are before God the ten thousand times ten thousand that minister to him least of all can any know that Being that made all these that preserveth all these that ordereth and governeth animateth and actuateth all these that gives them all that they are and enableth them to all that they do Deeper then Hell what canst thou know Who knoweth the Mines and Minerals which lie in the bosome in the bowels of the Earth Who knoweth the place of Saphires the Coral the Pearls and the precious Onix Job 28.5 6 7 8. Out of the Earth cometh Bread c. The stones of it are the place of Saphires and it hath dust of Gold There is a path which no Fowl knoweth and which the Vultures Eye hath not seen The Lyons Whelps have not trodden it nor the fierce Lyon passed by it Much less doth any know the Miseries of the Damned the extremity universality eternity of their Torments Who ever returned from that place to tell us what they suffered there or if they had whose Understanding is large enough to conceive them Who knoweth the Power of thine Anger according to thy Fear so is thy Wrath Psal 90.11 Least of all can any know that God Job 28.3 who setteth an end to Darkness and searcheth out all Perfection the stones of darkness and the shadow of Death Before whom Hell and Destruction are naked and open who formeth the costly Jewels secret from the Eyes of covetous Mortals who layeth the dark Vault of Hell and storeth it with Fire and Brimstone and gnawing Worms and blackness of darkness and all the Instruments of eternal Death The measure thereof is longer then the Earth The Earth is long from one end of it to another Mathematicians tell us from East to West it 's 22000 miles but the knowledge of God is much longer the measure thereof is beyond all measure And broader then the Sea The Ocean is exceeding broad it seems to them that Sail on it to be
without Banks or Bounds Hence we read of the Arms of the Sea Dan. 11.22 because of its breadth And David calls it Psal 104.25 A great and wide Sea So is this great and wide Sea wherein are things innumerable both small and great But the knowledge of the great God is far greater and wider How are the Dimensions of height depth length and breadth in their greatest extent and dimensions obvious to humane Understandings The Heavens are high yet their height is finite Hell is deep yet its depth is determined the Earth is long yet its length is limited the Sea is broad yet its breadth is bounded But God is infinite boundless and beyond all these CHAP. VII God incomparable in his Attributes in his Holiness and Wisdom II. GOd is incomparable as in his Being so in his Attributes The Attributes of God are those perfections in the Divine Nature which are ascribed to him that we might the better understand him They are so called i. e. Attributes because they are attributed to him for our sakes though they are not in him as they are in Men or Angels Vocantur Attributa quia ea sibi attribuit Deus nostra causa Zanch. de Attribut lib. 2. cap. 12. Attributa Dei dicuntur quae Deo adscribuntur in Scripturis sacris non tam ad essentiam naturamque Dei explicandam quam ad declarandum nobis aliquo modo pro nostro captu illud quod de ipso a nobis cognosci potest Polan Syntag. lib. 2. cap. 6. There are some Attributes of God which the School-men call Incommunicable which I have spoken of under the former Head because the Creature as a Creature is uncapable of them and therefore they cannot be attributed to Man or Angels It 's impossible for a Creature to be independent self-sufficient eternal in a strict sense infinite c. so that all will acknowledge God incomparable in those excellencies There are other Attributes of God which are called Communicable viz. His Power Holiness Wisdome Faithfulness c. because they are communicated by him to his rational Creatures and there is some shew or shadow of them in Men and Angels For though it was the horrible Pride and monstrous presumption of evil Angels and Adam at first to rival God in his Properties that were incommunicable to aspire to be like him in his Independency and Soveraignty for their Sin was that they would have cut off the Entail and have held all of themselves as their own Lords and Masters And the Prince of Tyre Ezek. 28.6 is indicted by God of inexpiable arrogancy That he durst set his heart as the heart of God Yet it is the only godliness of the Creatures to be like God in those Attributes of his which are communicable The new man is after God Ephes 1.24 The re-impression of his Image on the Creature David is therefore called a man after Gods own heart because he was a man after Gods own Holiness yea 't is the perfection and felicity of the intellectual World Psal 17. ult 1 John 3.3 4. in Heaven But even in these Properties wherein Man resembleth his Maker he is exceedingly unlike him and falls infinitely short of him That God is incomparable in his communicable Attributes I shall discover 1. More generally 2. More specially 1. More generally and here I shall enumerate some of those Attributes wherein Men and Angels are conformable to God and in each of them shew that in those in which they come nearest him they come far behind him 1. He is incomparable in his Holiness Holiness in general is the moral goodness of a thing or its conveniency or agreement with its rule Holiness in the Creatures is their conformity to the will of their Creator in the principle rule and end of their actions and motions Holiness in God is that excellency of the Divine Nature by which he acteth from himself for himself and according to his own will God is the holy One Hos 11.9 by way of eminency and excellency because he surpasseth all others in holiness He is the holy One of Jacob Isa 49.23 The holy One of Israel Isa 43.14 because of their special interest and propriety in the excellent Being He is holy holy holy Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 His Nature is the onely pattern of Holiness therefore he commands us to look on him as our Example Be ye holy as I am holy 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Man was made holy Eccles 7.29 i. e. According to the Image of God Gen. 1.26 Ephes 4.24 His will is the onely rule of Holiness Hence our holiness is called a proving his good and perfect and acceptable will Rom. 12.2 and our fulfilling the will of God Acts 13. And a walking according to his Word which is his reveal'd will as our Rule Gal. 6.16 He is universally holy in his Name Luke 1.49 In his Nature Psal 5.5 6. Hab. 1.13 In his Works Psal 145.17 In his Word Rom. 7.12 Psal 119.140 He is the Original of all holiness in Men or Angels they are beholden to him that they are not as unholy as the Damned as the Devils James 1.17 Ezek. 37.28 Ezek. 38.26 27. 1 Thess 5.23 Now what Man or Angel is comparable to him in holiness May I not with Moses make a Challenge Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness Exod. 15.11 Are Men holy as he is holy nay are the spirits of just Men made perfect and Angels equal to him in holiness Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints the best on Earth the Heavens the holiest there are unclean in his sight Job 15.15 16. As for man he is a Sink of Sin a Stye of Filth over-spread from Head to Foot with the Leprosie of Sin Gen. 6.5 And therefore instead of comparing with God for holiness is bound to abhor himself for his unholiness yea Angels who have nothing amiss in their Natures who never took one step awry in their lives who have ever continued Gods Loyal Subjects and faithful Servants observant of all his Calls and obedient to all his Commands whose obedience to him and observance of him is made the Copy for us to write after Math. 6.10 are yet unholy in comparison of God The Heavens are unclean in his sight The Heavens not onely the place which hath a relative holiness in regard of Gods special presence but even the persons in Heaven perfect Spirits who have no blemish in their Beings or disorder in their motions are unholy to him and unclean in his sight The holiness of Angels is but the holiness of obeying a Law Psal 103.20 21. the holiness of God is the holiness of being a Law 1 Thess 4.3 The holiness of Angels is but a conformity to the pattern set them the holiness of God is the holiness of setting them a pattern and of being their pattern The holiness of Angels is but a derivative Gods is an Original holiness God is so incomparable in holiness that it 's said He onely or
with his kindness Psal 130.5 Hos 11.1 Yet these turn Rebels and Traytors devise and endeavour his Ruine and ioyn with Satan his Arch-enemy in order thereunto Eph. 2.2 3. Job 15.25 26. 4. That he knoweth all Mens Sins the number of them the nature of them all the aggravations they admit of He knoweth their Thoughts Words Actions Psal 139. I know all their Wickedness and all their Sins Amos 5.12 Ezek. 11.5 5. That he hath Power in his Hands to avenge himself when he pleaseth He can look speak think his Creature into Hell-fire Here is the Miracle He that is great in Power is slow to Anger Nah. 1.3 6. That he is the more provoked because of his Patience The Revenues of Heaven are at present impaired by it Good Men hereby question and quarrel with his Providence Psal 73.2 3 4. Jer. 12.1 2 3. Bad Men hereby are encouraged to continue in Sin and to judge Him an Abettor of their Prophaneness Eccles 8.11 Psal 50.21 7. That he beareth notwithstanding all this Year after Year many Years forty Years with the Jews Psal 95.10 With the old World 120 Years Gen. 6.3 With the Amorites 400 Years Gen. 15.13 14. 8. That he doth not onely forbear them but also do them good He continueth Life and Health and Food and Rayment and Friends and Relations nay the Gospel and Salvation and seasons of Grace and tenders of his Love and Favor and of everlasting Life Acts 17.17 18 27 28. Luke 19.41 Job 21.14 15 16. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Men are Patient Moses was the meekest man on Earth Numb 12.12 But could he bear as God No. When the Israelites provoked him he was impatient Psal 106.33 They provoked his Spirit that he spake unadvisedly with his Lips The Apostles were good men yet upon a little affront they call for Fire from Heaven Luke 9.54 If God should be as impatient towards the most patient Men as they are towards others woe would be to them that ever they were born But though Men come short yet are not Angels as patient as God Surely No Angels cannot bear like God with such a froward peevish piece as man is The Lord told Moses That he would not go up in the midst of them least he should consume them for their Sins but he would send an Angel before them to drive out the Canaanites Exod. 33.2 Yet verse 4. When the People heard these evil Tydings they mourned and no Man did put on his Ornaments What evil Tydings 1. They should have an Angel for their Guide and Guard that was both stronger and wiser then any Men. 2. An Angel that should drive out their Enemies God undertaketh for that and bring them into the best Country under Heaven 3. God gives them the reason why he declines their immediate Conduct least their stubbornness should provoke him to destroy them yet they weep and mourn at these tydings Alas they knew if God could not bear with their Provocations much less could Angels and therefore if Angels be their Guides they must perish If they could tire out infinite forbearance and drain an Ocean they must needs quickly tire out finite Patience and drain a little Stream How soon would limited forbearance and a drop of patience be spent God is so incomparable in his patience that he is called The God of all Patience not onely because he hath all manner of patience in him but because he hath ingrost it all to himself CHAP. X. God incomparable in his Attributes as they are from him as they are his Essence as they are all one in him as they are in him in an infinite manner 2. I Shall shew more specially the difference between God and his Creatures in reference to these communicable Attributes 1. These Attributes are all essential to God They are from God as well as in God He is their Author as well as their Subject But in Men and Angels they are all derivative though Truth and Justice and Holiness may be in them yet they are not from them but from God God is not obliged to any but himself for them He can thank onely himself that he hath them but Angels and Men are not obliged to themselves but to him for them When the high God would lay Job low by manifesting the vast difference between himself and Job He bids Job be obliged to himself for his Excellency Job 40.10 Deck thy self with Majesty and Excellency array thy self with Glory and Beauty To be deckt and array'd with Majesty and Excellency notes 1. The extent and abundance of it the whole man is cover'd with Rayment To be cloath'd with shame is to be extremely reproached Psal 35.26 To be arrayed with humility is to be very humble lowly in an extraordinary degree 1 Pet. 5.5.2 The publikeness of it our Deckings and Rayments are visible we cannot go abroad but all see our Clothes God speaks to Job to this purpose Job thou hast talk'd very presumptuously and carried thy self as if there were no great distance or difference between Me and thy self as if thou wert like me and and equal to me If thou art let me see it Deck thy self with Majesty and Excellency array thy self with Glory and Beauty I can deck my self and array my self with all these in the highest degree and will not be beholden to any others for their help I am clothed with Majesty but no Creature lent an hand for the making up or puting on those Clothes Psal 104.1 I have cover'd my self with light as with a Garment Psal 104.2 But neither Man nor Angel assorded me the least assistance therein Do thou as much for thy self as I have done for my self and then indeed thou mayst compare with me God might make the same offer to Angels which he doth to Job and none of them would or could accept it Dependance is of their essence as they are Creatures and they can no more be separated from it then from themselves 2. These Attributes are the very essence of God not Qualities or Properties as in Men and Angels The holiness of God is the holy God Once have I sworn by my Holiness Psal 89.36 i. e. by my self that I will not lye unto David For Heb. 6.13 God having no greater to swear by swore by himself The Power of God is the powerful God the Truth of God is the true God the Wisdom of God is the wise God All his Attributes are himself his Essence In Men and Angels their Wisdom and Power and Justice and Truth are Accidents and differ from their Substances and this is apparent because Angels and Men may be and are without these Attributes as Devils and wicked Men. In them these Properties are one thing and their Essence is another thing so that they may be separated An Angel may be an Angel and not holy nor wise nor just c. A Man may be a Man and not powerful nor patient nor merciful and the reason is because these
Creation he erected this curious large Fabrick without any Tool or Instrument Isa 44.24 I am the Lord that made all things that stretcheth forth the Heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the Earth by my self Mark he made the Heavens alone had none with him to assist him and he made the Earth by himself call'd none from Heaven to his Aid As he said to Job Where wast thou when I laid the Foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast understanding Job 38.4 Thou wast far enough off from giving any help so he may say to Angels Where were ye when I stretched out the Heavens declare if ye have understanding Some give that reason why they are not mentioned in the Creation of the World in the first of Genesis to assure us that God did not use their help in his Work The Heavens are compared to a Curtain Psal 104. and â—o a Tent Isa 40.22 Now we know that when Curtains or Tents that are very large are to be stretcht out as the phrase is in that Isa 44.24 there needs many Hands to it one hand will not do it many pair of hands must be put to it but God spreadeth out those wide large Curtains of Heaven alone Job 9.8 He borrowed not one hand to it Hast thou with him spread out the Skie which is strong as a molten Looking-Glass Job 37.18 Was God beholden to thee for affording him thine Arms in the unfolding and spreading that broad vast piece In works of Providence He doth some great things alone by himself Job 26.7 He hangeth the Earth on nothing without an Atlas to bear it up and he preserves Moses forty days without Food Exod. â—2 And he doth all things without the help of his Creatures even there and then when he makes the most use of his Creatures He useth Angels and Men in the Government of the World he useth many means as Food and Rayment and Physick and Sleep for the preservation of our Health and Lives but he doth all as much and as surely as if he made not use of any means at all He is the Soul of the World that actuates every thing in it Hence we read That Instruments are called his Sword Psal 17.14 His Rod Isa 10.5 What can the Sword or the Rod do without an Hand to cut or scourge with them therefore when his Rod boasteth as if it could scourge of it self Isa 10.12 13. and as if it were the Hand too By the strength of my hand have I done it I have removed the Bounds of the People and robbed their Treasure God quickly contradicts such vain babling and confutes such vain glorious boasting verse 15. Shall the Axe boast it self against him that heweth therewith or the Saw magnifie it self against him that shaketh it Thou poor proud vain-glorious Wretch Thou art a meer Axe a Saw and canst no more move or cut of thy self then a Saw or an Axe that lyeth on the ground which no man medleth with Thou talketh arrogantly and saucily as if thou didst all when thou didst nothing I did all thou wast all the while but the Axe and Saw in my Hand which I made use of 1. Whether God have little or great means means or no means it 's all one to him there is not a pinn to choose as we say for he doth as much when he hath means as when he hath none 2 Chron. 14.7 It 's all one with thee to help with many or with them that have no Power It 's not the least difference to him 't is not so much as the smallest dust in the Ballance to turn the Scale of Victory whether God have many or few any or none of his side God never made use of any Creatures because he had the least need of them or the least help by them but partly because it is his pleasure he useth them because he will use them It 's his pleasure by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1 21. Not that he hath the least aid from Preachers so it 's his pleasure by Food and Sleep to preserve mans life not that he hath any help from them Thy Visitation preserveth my Spirit Job 10.12 Partly from his own Honour Hereby he magnifieth his Sovereignty and sheweth his Dominion over all his Creatures that they are all at his beck and he can with a stamp of his Foot or a glance of his Eye or an hiss of his Mouth call them from the uttermost parts of the World to execute his Command My Hand hath laid the Foundations of the Earth my right Hand hath span'd the Heavens when I call they stand up together Isa 48.13 The Flies Caterpillars Locusts Stars in their courses c. all come at his call Hereby he magnifieth his Power that can do such great things by weak means He got himself glory on Pharaoh when he made pitiful contemptible Creatures as Lice and Flies such Plagues to him And by opening the Eyes of the blind and quickening the Dead by such weak poor Instruments as Men are his strength is exceedingly exalted We have this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the Power might be of God 2 Cor. 4.7 Hereby he magnifieth his Wisdom viz. in discovering the fitness and aptitude of his Creature to those ends and purposes for which they were created The use of a Tool discovers its worth by discovering its serviceableness to that for which it was made Partly to endear Creatures one to another their mutual serviceableness each to other causeth the greater amity and unity between them 1 Cor. 12.21 22 23. In spiritual things also God worketh alone even when he hath many Ordinances and Ministers to serve him Thou workest all our Works in us and for us Isa 26.12 Not any Visions or Prophets or industry of our own but thou workest all What is Paul what is Apollos Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giveth the increase So then Observe He that planteth is a great Apostle No nothing and he that watereth is an eloquent excellent person No nothing but God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3.5 6 7. God doth not use Preachers because they help him in the conversion of Souls but as I said before because it is his pleasure 1 Cor. 1.21 And he turneth it to his honour 2 Cor. 4.7 Therefore it is often seen that Ministers of the largest Gifts of the greatest Grace are not often the most successful in their Labours because God would have us know that it 's not the Parts or Piety of the Preacher but his Grace and Spirit that doth the Work They are nothing he is all in all He made light the first day of the Creation and not the Sun or Stars till the Fourth to tell the World that he can enlighten it without the Sun It is a great Honour to God that he hath so many millions of Creatures at his will and pleasure that he hath so many Eyes to see for him
fury the Rocks are rent in pieces the most stony hearts are melted the Mountains are moved the highest and firmliest seated Sinners are shaken out of their places and senses the foundations of the World tremble and quake the strongest Pillars are troubled the whole frame and body of Nature is affected with a Palsie Psal 18.13 The Lord thundred in the Heavens the highest gave forth his Voice what followeth Hail-stones and coals of fire 3. It is efficacious in healing the wounded Spirit When God takes the Sword of the Spirit into his own Hand and wields it with his own Arm it makes work it makes wounds to purpose in the consciences of men the sleepy Soul is now awakened the secure Soul is now affrighted the sensless Soul is now affected with his sins and misery Acts 2.37 the man tasteth the bitterness of his original and actual corruptions feeleth the weight of Divine fury and indignation findeth the Poyson to work in his Bowels and wracking him with extremity of pain Psal 38.4 Job 6.10 There is no rest in his Flesh because of God's anger nor quiet in his Bones because of his sins The arrows of the Almighty are within him and his terrors set themselves in array against him The unquenchable fire flasheth in his face and destruction in his thoughts is ready to lay hold of him in this condition he knoweth not what to do Prov. 18.14 for a wounded Spirit who can bear He tryeth Creatures but they can afford him no ease Miserable Comforters are they all to him and Pyhsicians of no value It 's the same hand that wounded that alone can cure him it 's the same word that bruised him that must bind him up let God but speak to this Soul that is thus sunk down into Hell and it will be lifted up to Heaven Fools because of their Iniquities and Transgressions are afflicted their Soul abhoreth all manner of meat they are so sick that they can relish take down nothing and they draw near to the gates of Death they are almost in they are on the brink of Hell what course must be used for their cure truly this He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from their Destruction Psal 107.17 18 19 20. No Herb in the Garden of the whole World can do these distress'd Creatures the least good Friends may speak Ministers may speak yea Angels may speak and yet all in vain the wounds are incurable for all their words But if God please to speak the dying Soul reviveth His word is the onely Balm that can cure the wounded conscience he sendeth his Word and healeth them Conscience is God's Prisoner he claps it in hold he layeth it in fetters that the iron enters the very Soul this he doth by his word and truly he onely who shuts up can let out all the World cannot open the iron Gate knock off the shackles and set the poor Prisoner at liberty till God speak the word David professed he had quite fainted had it not been for this Aqua vitae this Cordial water I had perished in my affliction but thy word comforted me Psal 119.92 The boistrous Billows went over my Soul and I had sunk in those deep Waters had not thy Word bore me up CHAP. XVII If God be incomparable 1. How great is the malignity of Sin which contemneth dishonoureth and opposeth this God I Come now to make some application of this great and weighty Truth It may be useful by way of Information Counsel and Comfort First By way of Information If God be so incomparable that there is none on Earth none in Heaven comparable to him It may inform us 1. Of the great venome and malignity of Sin because it is an injury to so great so glorious so incomparable a Being The higher and better any Object is the baser and the worse is that action which is injurious to it To throw dirt on Sack-cloth is not so bad as to throw dirt on Scarlet or fine Linnen To make a flaw in a pebble or common stone is nothing to the making a flaw in a Diamond or precious stone Those opprobrious Speeches or injurious Actions against an ordinary person which are but a breach of the good behaviour and bear but a common Action at Law if against a Prince may be high Treason because of the execellency of his Place and Majesty of his Person The worth and dignity of the Object doth exceedingly heighten and aggravate the Offence How horrid then is Sin and of how hainous a nature when it offendeth and opposeth not Kings the highest of men not Angels the highest of Creatures But God the highest of Beings the incomparable God to whom Kings and Angels yea the whole Creation is less then nothing We take the size of Sin too low and short and wrong when we measure it by the wrong it doth to our selves or our Families or our Neighbours or the Nation wherein we live indeed herein somewhat of its evil and mischief doth appear but to take its full length and proportion we must consider the wrong it doth to this great this glorious this incomparable God Sin is incomparably malignant because the God principally injur'd by it is incomparably excellent It 's one thing to displease and offend man a poor slimy worm a mean shallow Creature of the same make and mold with our selves and another thing to displease and offend God that unconceivable immense Being If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him an humane Judge may undertake to determine and comprise Offences between them that stand upon the same level but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him 1 Sam. 2.25 Here the case is alter'd here is a pitiful finite Creature offending an infinite Creator what man dares arbitrate this difference nay who can intercede and interpose between these too Hence hence it is that there is no less then an infinite demerit in sin because its an injury to an infinite Majesty Nothing discovers sin to be so great an evil as its opposition to so vast so matchless so great a good so incomparable a God The evil of sin appeareth somewhat in the injury it doth to our Estates Prov. 23.21 The Drunkard and Glutton shall come to poverty and idleness shall cloath a man with rags To our Names The name of the Wicked shall rot Prov. 11.7 To our Families A wicked man troubleth his own House Prov. 15.27 Prov. 3.33 To our Neighbours One sinner destroyeth much good Eccl. 3.18 To our Nation Jer. 18.7 8. Psal 107.34 He turneth a fruitful Land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein To our Bodies Who hath woe who hath sorrow who hath wound without cause They that tarry long at the Wine Prov. 23.29 30. Prov. 5.11 To our Souls He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul Prov. 8. ult But all this discovers nothing of sins evil to that which
it in delight The former is the motion the latter the rest and repose of the soul Now the Incomparable God must have incomparable desires panting Psal 42.2 longing yea fainting out of vehemency of desire Psal 119.20 40 80. God must be desired above all Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee The Incomparable God must have incomparable delight I will go to the Altar of God my joy of God my exceeding joy Psal 43.4 The soul must be ravished extasied in the presence and enjoyment of God Cantic 2.4 4. The Incomparable God must have incomparable trust The more able and faithful any person is the more firmly we trust him Now God is incomparable in power he hath an Almighty arm incomparable in faithfulness he cannot lie Tit. 1.2 It 's impossible for him to lie Heb. 6.18 Therefore God must have our surest love and firmest faith Heb. 6.18 Rom. 4.20 We must esteem his words as good as deeds and rely on all he promiseth as if it were already performed We must not stagger or waver but draw nigh to him with full assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 His bonds must be lookt upon for they are as good as ready money and we must rejoyce in hope of the good things promised as if we had them in hand Rom. 5.2 3. 5. This incomparable God must have incomparable obedience in the whole course of our lives The more vertuous or gracious or honourable or excellent the person is with whom we walk the more we weigh our words and ponder the paths of our feet and watch over our selves God is incomparable in purity in jealousie in Majesty in excellency therefore they who are ever under his eye and in his presence and who walk with him must walk not as they do when with ordinary persons carelesly and negligently but circumspectly accurately exactly to an hairs breadth as on a ridge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5.15 His law must be kept to a tittle in every punctilio as the apple of the eye Prov. 7.2 which is offended with the least mote of dust And this obedience must be not only at some seasons and in some actions but always and in all things As he who hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 All our service to this incomparable God must be incomparable Little service is unsuitable to a great God 1 Chron. 29.1 2. David the King said unto all the Congregation Solomon my Son whom alone God hath chosen is yet young and tender and the work i. e. of building the temple is great for the Palace is not for man but for the Lord God Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God c. Fifthly If God be an incomparable God it informeth us of his infinite grace and condescention to take so much notice of and do so much for man The height of the Person that bestoweth a favour and the meanness and unworthiness of the object on whom it is bestowed doth exceedingly advance and heighten the grace and goodness of him that doth it O what grace is it then for the most high the God of heaven the God whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain to manifest such respect to vile sinful dust and ashes yea to them that are rebels and Traytors against his Majesty and thereby worthy of Hell David admireth it and is amazed at it Psal 8.1 O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth and thy glory is above the heavens What followeth What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitest him That God the excellent God the God famous in all the earth the God glorious above the heavens should mind man poor silly simple man weak frail dying man sinful filthy polluted man lost wretched miserable man could not but affect the heart of David with admiration and astonishment What is man that thou art mindful of him He is altogether below thy thoughts and unworthy to be a moment in thy mind Or the Son of man that thou visitest him he doth not deserve to be visited by the beasts of the earth much less to be visited by the Angels of Heaven and least of all by the God of heaven He may well say as the Centurion Lord I am unworthy that thou shouldst come under my roof neither thought I my self worthy to come unto thee Mat. 8.8 David wonders that God should mind man so much as to make the heavens and those glorious Lamps there for his use and comfort When I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast made what is man that thou art mindful of him But how much more cause had he to wonder that the heaven of heavens the God of heaven the Sun of righteousness the light of lights should do so much and be so much himself for the good and comfort of man God doth manifest much grace and condescention in taking such care of mens bodies and outward concerns You would think it a great grace and condescention in a King to take care night and day of a poor beggar to see to it himself and not to leave it to servants or any others that he have food and raiment and liberty and peace and safety every day that his bed be made well and easie for him every night that when he is sick he have physick cordials and tendance and should constantly visit him himself in person that in all his wants he be supplyed in all his weaknesses supported in all his dangers defended and in all his distresses delivered If this King should never stir from this beggar but do all this in his own person if he himself should spread his table and provide his food and be at the sole charge of his garments and put them on and make his bed and stand by him all night while he slept to prevent any evil that might befall him and go up and down with him all day to protect him and counsel him and relieve him as occasion required you would be amazed at the favour and kindness and condescention of this Prince Believe it Reader surely seeing is believing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords he whose name is I am he to whom all the Kings and Princes and Potentates of the world are dross and dirt and dung the Incomparable God doth more than all this very much more for thee every day and every night and that in his own person He sendeth thee all thy bread and drink and cloaths and makes them refreshing to thee he provides thy habitation and lodging and commandeth sleep for thee He is with thee continually in all thy out-goings incomings to preserve thee alive to enable thee to thy motions to succeed thy lawful undertakings to relieve thee in thy necessities and to defend
what poor pitiful Nothings what is a strong Sampson to the Almighty God but as straw as chaff as rotten wood as all weakness what is the Age of Methuselah to the duration of the eternal God to whose Age Millions of years add not a moment but as a minute as nothing Psal 39.5 What is the wisdom of Solomon to all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge which are in the only wise God but a curious web of folly Coloss 2.9 What is the holiness of an Angel to the holiness of God but as a candle to the Sun yea as perfect night and darkness to the Noon-day O therefore how shouldst thou labour to know this God how industrious shouldst thou be to be acquainted with him When the Queen of Sheba had heard of the extraordinary knowledge and abilities of Solomon she came from the utmost parts of the earth to see his person and to hear his wisdome But behold Reader a greater than Solomon is here Solomon was an Ideot an Innocent to this object which I request thee to know The understanding of God is infinite Psal 147.5 There is no searching of his understanding Isa 40.28 Indeed it is bottomless and therefore can never be found out His knowledge can never be known fully no not by Angels themselves Do men beat their brains and consume their bodies and waste their estates and deny themselves the pleasures of the flesh as many Heathen have done for the knowledge of nature of the heavenly bodies and their motions of the Sea and its ebbing and flowing of the earth and the creatures thereon when after all their search they were still at a loss and for all the knowledge they attained they proved but learned Dunces what wouldst thou then do for the knowledge of the God of nature of the mighty possessor of Heaven and Earth of him to whom all things are less than nothing of him the knowledge of whom will make thee wise to Salvation O Friend this is the only knowledge worth seeking worth getting worth prizing worth glorying in Jer. 9.23 24. Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might nor the rich man glory in his riches Worldly knowledge strength wealth are not worth glorying in what then is The next verse tells you But let him that glorieth glory in this in what that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord c. This is a jewel that a man may boast of and glory in that he knoweth me that I am the Lord. There is an excellency in all knowledge Knowledge is the eye of the Soul to direct it in its motions it is the lamp the light of the Soul set up by God himself to guide it in its actions The understanding of man is the candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 Without knowledge the Soul is but a Dungeon of darkness and blackness full of confusion and terror But there is an incomparable excellency in the knowledge of this incomparable God The object doth elevate and heighten the act There is a vast difference between the knowledg of earthly things and heavenly things between the knowledge of wise strong faithful merciful just holy men and the only wise omnipotent unchangeable righteous most holy God Only before I proceed to the urging this Use I would desire thee Reader to take notice what knowledge of God it is which I am pressing thee to labour for it is not a meer notional speculative knowledge though a knowledge of apprehension is a duty necessary Eph. 5.17 Psal 143.8 Heb. 8.9 10. but an experimental knowledge Thou hast made me to know wisdom in my secret parts Psal 51.6 The heart is called the secret part because known only to God 1 Kings 8.39 such a knowledge as affecteth the heart with love to him and fear of him and hatred of what is contrary to him true knowledge takes the heart as well as takes the head Psal 1.6 1 Kings 8.38 Phil. 3.10 and influenceth the life 1 Joh. 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him Coloss 1.9 10. John 10.4 5. Right knowledge though it begin at the head doth not end there but falls down upon the heart to affect that and floweth out in the life to order and regulate that Coloss 1.10 We pray for you that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding for what end and to what purpose that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work To enforce this Use I shall give thee two or three Motives and as many means To encourage thee to study the knowledge of this God consider these three properties of it 1. The true knowledge of this God will be a sanctifying knowledge If thou hast any thing of a man I mean of Reason in thee holiness which was thy primitive perfection which is the Image of the incomparable God and will fit thee for his special love and eternal embraces will be a strong and cogent argument with thee Now this knowledge of God will conform thee to God render thee like unto him who is the pattern and standard of all excellency As I said before knowledge is the eye by which we see God and the vision of God causeth an assimulation to him But we all with open face beholding as in a Glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of our God 2 Cor. 3.18 The Blackamore that often look'd on beautiful pictures brought forth a beautiful Son We are often changed into the postures and fashions yea and dispositions of those whom we much converse with on earth surely then acquaintance with the gracious and Holy God will make us in some measure to resemble him Other knowledge pollutes and defiles the soul Oftentimes the more men pick the lock of Natures Cabinet and look into her riches and treasury her secrets and mysteries the more Atheistical they are and forgetful of the God of Nature Hence Religio Medici is irreligion they see so much of the operations of nature that they ascribe the principal efficiency to the instrument And hence the wisdom of the Philosophers counted the wisest men in the world is folly 1 Cor. 3.19 And though they professed themselves to be wise yet they became fools and were guilty of all manner of wickedness Rom. 1.22 to the end And what was the reason but this they knew not God with all their knowledge 1 Cor. 1.21 Ignorant heads are ever accompanied with irreligious hearts and both are attended with Atheistical lives Eph. 4.18 The Apostle tells us of the Heathen that they were estranged from the life of God an holy life through the ignorance that was in them because of the blindness of their hearts So Hos 4.1 2 3 4.
But the knowledg of God purifieth the soul As the Sun conveyeth heat along with its light so grace is multiplied through the knowledge of God 2 Pet. 1.2 When Moses had convers'd with God in the Mount his feet shone that the Jews could not behold him When a Soul hath once acquainted himself with the blessed God his life will shine with holiness therefore David counselleth his Son Solomon to know the God of his Fathers and to serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind first to know him then to serve him 1 Chron. 28.9 This knowledge must needs be a sanctifying knowledge because it renders sin abominable the world contemptible God honourable and the soul the more humble The knowledge of God will render sin most abominable to the Soul it renders sin to be exceeding sinful The miseries that befall us in our estates names bodies souls nay all the curses of the Law and torments of the damned do not discover the ugly loathsome features and monstrous deformed nature of sin like the knowledge of this incomparable God Job confesseth his sin Job 42.2 I uttered things that I understood not nay he abhorreth himself for his sin v. 5. But whence came he who sometime justifyed himself too much now to abhor himself He gives us the reason or cause of it I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear I had some knowledge of thee before but now mine eyes see thee I now have a clearer and fuller knowledge of thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes The more we know the greatest good the more we shall hate the greatest evil The knowledge of God will render the world contemptible to a Christian None undervalue the Creature but those who have had a sight of the Creator neither can any trample on the riches honours and pleasures of this world but those who know him who is the riches and honours and pleasures of the other world They who never saw the Sun wonder at a Candle and they who never knew the blessed God wonder at and are fond of poor low things mean small pitiful things on earth But the whole world with all its Crowns and Scepters and Diadems and Delights is but a dunghill to him that hath seen the incomparable God Moses could refuse the honour of being the adopted Child of a Kings Heir reject the pleasures of Pharaoh's Court and prefer the reproaches of Christ before all the Treasures of Egypt when he had once got a sight of the Incomparable God Heb. 11.25 26 27. For he saw him that was invisible The knowledge of God will render God more honourable in our esteems The more we know of many things and persons the more we sleight and despise them The more we know sin the more we loath it the more we know our selves the more we abhor our selves but the more we know God the more we love him and the more we admire him The reason of all the contempt and affronts which we offer to God is our ignorance of him The whole world lyeth in wickedness as a beast in its dung or vermine in their slime 1 Joh. 5.19 but the reason is what Christ speaks Joh. 17.25 Father the world hath not known thee for the Apostle saith had they known they would never have Crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2.8 They who know God cannot but see infinite reason why they should love and fear and honour and please him all their dayes Why do you think is God so much wondred at and worshipped in his Church more than in other parts of the world Why doth he inhabit their highest praises Psal 22.3 and greatest blessings and thanksgivings but because he is known more there than in other parts of the world In Judah is God known therefore his name is great his name alone is excellent in Israel Psal 76.1 The knowledge of God makes us humble We never are so low in our own eyes as when we see the most high God The more we know of men that are more vain and foolish and wicked than our selves the more we are exalted and puffed up but the more we know of God of the great God the incomparable God the most holy God to whom we are as nothing less than nothing worse than nothing the more we abase our selves When David is acquainted with the excellency of God O Lord my Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth and thy glory is above the Heavens Psal 8.1 What low little diminutive thoughts hath he of himself and others v. 4. What is man or what is the Son of man What a poor pitiful contemptible thing is man What a vain empty insignificant nothing is the Son of man We are ashamed of our rush Candles or Glow-worms hide our heads in the presence of the Sun The holiest man abhors himself for his unholiness before the most Holy God So Job 25.2 Dominion and fear are with him v. 3. There is no number of his Armies v. 5. Behold even to the Moon and it shineth not and the Stars are not pure in his sight How much less man that is a worm and the Son of man that is a worm v. 6. A worm is the most despicable contemptible creature every beast trampleth on it such a creature is man in his own apprehensions when he once understandeth the incomparable God When Isaiah had seen the Lord of Hosts though he were an Holy man he cryeth out I am undone I am a man of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the Lord of Hosts Isa 6.3 4. He never saw so much of his own uncleanness as when he saw him in whose presence the Heavens are unclean Other knowledge like wind in a bladder puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.2 but the knowledge of God as fire nigh the bladder shrinks and shrivels it up to nothing 2. The knowledge of God is a satisfying knowledge A man may know much of Creatures and the more he knoweth the more unquiet and restless he is his knowledge as wind to the stomack may fill and pain and trouble him but cannot satisfie him for Creatures are not that savory meat which the heaven-born spiritual immortal Soul of man would have and must have if ever it be contented The greatest Students who have wearied and tired out their brains and bodies in the search of Natures secrets have found by experience that they spent their strength for what is not bread and their labour for what will not satisfie and they have known the truth of the Wise mans saying He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow Eccles 1.18 That knowledge which satisfieth must be of an object that is suitable in its spirituality to the nature of the Soul in its all-sufficiency to the manifold necessities of the Soul and in its immortality to the duration of the Soul if either of these be wanting in it the Soul cannot receive satisfaction by it because without all these the
Soul cannot be perfectly happy and till it find that which can make it perfectly happy it will be restless If it meet with an object that is suitable to its nature yet if it be not answerable to all its wants it will still be complaining wherein it is unsupplyed and so unquiet If it meet with an object that is suitable to its nature and answerable to all its wants yet if it be not eternal it must needs be full of fears and troubles in the fore-thoughts of its amission of so great a good which would imbitter the present possession of it For the soul being incorruptible and immortal it self cannot but desire that good which will run parallel with its own life and if it desire it nothing will fully satisfie it till it obtain such a good Now nothing in this world is suitable to the Souls nature the Soul is spiritual the things of this world are carnal nor answerable to the various indigencies of the Soul the Souls wants are many and in a manner infinite besides they are spiritual as pardon of Sin peace with God peace of Conscience c. when the good things of this life are particular finite and bodily nor equal to the Souls duration the Soul will abide and continue after millions of ages and generations for ever and ever but this world passeth away and all the good things thereof But this God whom I am perswading thee Reader to know and acquaint thy self with is in all these respects perfect and so will satisfie thy soul God is a spiritual good a Spirit Joh. 4.23 the Father of Spirits and so suitable to the nature of thy soul He is an universal good all good and so answerable to the many wants of thy Soul He is an eternal good a good that never dieth never fadeth a good that only hath immortality and so is equal to thy souls duration therefore the Disciple cryeth out to Christ shew us the Father and it sufficeth Joh. 10.8 and David tells us that he is fully pleased in having God for his portion Psal 14.5 6. Give any man both that which he would have and that which he should have and he is contented If indeed you give a man what he would have supposing it be that which he should not have his desires being depraved and vitiated he cannot be contented when he hath what he desired because lusts are unsatiable and sinful desires never satisfied thence the Heathen Emperours had their Inventors of new pleasures and possibly that may be the meaning of that place Rom. 1.28 The Heathen wearied with common invented unnatural delights But give a man what he would have suppose it be what he should have his desires being rectified and he is then at ease and rest He who knoweth God aright is fully satisfied in him when he once drinketh of the Fountain of living waters he thirsteth no more after other objects Joh. 4.14 Though the Soul stil desireth to know more of God till it come to that place where it shall know as it is known as David though satisfied with his portion Psal 16.4 5. yet thirsted after more of it Psal 63.1 2. yet it is quiet and contented in God And indeed the sweetness which it tasteth in acquaintance with the incomparable God makes it long after nearer and fuller acquaintance with him When Moses was once acquainted with God he begs that he might see and know more of his glory and the reason is because while God is the object there can be no satiety he being the God of all joy and consolation neither can there be such a full acquaintance as to cease desires after farther acquaintance he being an object still too great for the faculties to comprehend The desires of the glorified are without anxiety because they are satisfied in the object of their desires and their satisfaction or enjoyment is without satiety or loathing because they see still infinite cause to desire him When the Soul once comes to know God as the needle touch'd with the Loadstone when it turns to the North it is then quiet though before like the Dove it hover'd up and down over the waters of this world and could find no rest This knowledge if right diffuseth into the Soul a sweet tranquillity silent peace secret setled calmness besides a ravishing praevision and blessed fore-fruition of its fuller acquaintance in the other life 3. The knowledge of God is a saving knowledge Many perish for all their great knowledge of Creatures their knowledge may light them to the more dismal Chambers of death of blackness of darkness for ever Joh. 15.24 And indeed their knowledge like many Pigs of Silver in a Vessel sinking presseth them the deeper into Hell but the knowledge of God is saving God will know him in the other world who knows him in this He will be so far from knowing them hereafter who are ignorant of him here that he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God 2 Thess 1.7 8. But he will own them and take acquaintance with them then that own him and are acquainted with him now Psal 91.14 I will set him on high because he hath known my name God will set him as high as Heaven who knoweth his name on earth Reader it 's as much worth as Heaven to thee to know this incomparable God This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 It is the morning though not the Meridian of Heaven it is the Bud though not the ripe fruit of glory it is the seed though not the harvest of the Inheritance above to know the true God and Jesus Christ This knowledge is of the same nature though not of the same measure with that in the other world Eph. 4.13 Now the Christian knoweth as a Child then he shall know as a man now he seeth God as it were at a distance through the prospective glass of faith but then he shall see God face to face Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now we know in part but then we shall know as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 CHAP. XXIV The Means of acquaintance with God A sense of our Ignorance Attendance on the word Fervent Prayer THe means which I shall offer as helpful to the attainment of his knowledge of God are these 1. Be sensible of thine ignorance of him A conceited Scholar is no good learner He that thinks he knoweth enough already will never be beholden to a Master to teach him more Seest thou a man wife in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him Prov. 26.12 This was that which lock'd up the Pharisees in the dark dungeon of Ignorance they were blind Truth it self called them blind Mat. 23.16 17. But they conceited their eyes were good and so neglected the means of curing them Ye say ye see I do not say
is the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity every moment to whom a thousand years yea millions of Ages are but as one day as one moment whose duration is uncapable of the least accession who is boundless in his being omnipotent in his power unsearchable in his wisdom unconceivable in his grace and infinite in all his perfections He dwelleth in that light that is inaccessible before him Angels the highest of creatures vail their faces to him the whole Creation is less than nothing and vanity This God who is offered thee made all things of nothing supports all things influenceth all things and is all things and infinitely more than all things He is so needful a good that thou art undone without him This was the misery of the Heathen on earth Eph. 2.12 and of the damned in Hell Math. 25.41 the very Hell of Hell He is so plentiful a good that thou art perfectly happy in him Psal 144. ult thou needest no more He is the Heaven of Heavens Psal 16. ult the safest refuge O Friend what dost thou think of having this God for thy portion Is it not worth the while to have this God for thy God wilt thou not say Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee O Lord thou art great and thy name is great Who would not fear thee O King of Nations Jer. 10.6 7. Again the God who is offered thee is the Well of Salvation the Lord of life the God of all consolation an Hive of sweetness a Paradice of pleasure an Heaven of joy He is the richest grace the dearest love the surest friend the highest honour the vastest treasure the exactest beauty the chiefest good and the fullest felicity He is one that can enlarge and sute all thy faculties relieve and answer all thy necessities fill up and satisfie all the capacities of thine Heaven-born soul God is a good which Christ died to purchase for thee Eph. 2.13 1 Pet. 3.18 And surely if Christ thought him worth his blood he is worthy thine acceptance God is a comprehensive universal good not one but all good Riches Honours Pleasures Friends Relations Health Life Earth Heaven this World the other World all the good of both Worlds and infinitely more and art thou not covetous of such wealth that is better worth than both worlds Philip. 4.19 Psal 23.1 Gen. 17.1 God is an everlasting good a good that will stand by thee and abide with thee when all other good things shall fail thee 1 Tim. 6.7 Psal 73.25 He is that good which thou wouldst have if thou art well in thy wits he is that good which thou shouldst have if thou answerest the end of thy Creation he is that good which thou must have if thou art not eternally miserable He is the only suitable satisfying good which hits the nature and fits the desire of the rational creature O Reader I say again what dost thou think of having this incomparable God for thy God Surely by this time thy heart may well melt into astonishment that he will allow thee to seek so matchless a portion Well what sayest thou to him Is it not worth the while to have him for thine to whom thou wilt call in the day of distress to whom thou wilt cry in a dying hour when thy Soul stands quivering on thy lips ready to take its flight into the unknown Regions of the other world when Devils will be waiting to seize it as soon as ever it leaves the body to hale it to the unquenchable flames of hell when thy Friends and Relations shall be weeping and wailing by thee but unable to afford thy dying body the least Cordial or thy departing soul the least Comfort Ah friend what wilt thou do in such an hour which is hastening on thee without the incomparable God Believe it though thou mayest live without him thou canst not dye without an infinite horror without him Is it not worth the while to have him for thine to whom thou must stand or fall for ever from whose mouth thy sentence of eternal absolution or condemnation must come and who shall judge thee to thine unchangeable state of life or death though thou mayest think thou canst do well enough at this day with the world for thy portion yet what wilt thou do at that day when the world shall be in a flame if God be not thy portion Art thou willing or not to have this God for thine What sayest thou Canst thou find in thine heart to deprive thy precious soul of such an inestimable treasure and to leave it naked in the other world to the cruelty of Devils and the dreadful curses of the Law Methinks though I have spoken little yet I have said enough to one that will but let his reason judge to draw out thy most earnest desires after this incomparable God 2. Consider upon what terms thou mayst have this God for thy God You may possibly think that so boundless a good must cost you very dear and the price must be vast of a pearl that is so matchless but lo to thy comfort all the condition which God requireth of thee is only to accept him heartily and thankfully in his Son Canst thou have any thing cheaper wouldst thou desire him in his terms to fall lower nay is it possible so to do and make thee happy Nor can he be thine unless thou receivest him for thine It 's a poor favour that is not worth acceptance Do but take him for your happiness and you shall have him for your happiness Thou givest more for thy bread thy cloaths thy house for the needful comforts that are for the support of thy frail body than thou needest give for the great glorious incomprehensible incomparable God Thou payest money for them but thou mayst have him without money and without price One would think that the equity of the condition should both amaze thee and allure thee Consider I say God doth not require of thee things impossible to thee he doth not say if thou wilt remove Mountains dry up Oceans stop the course of Nature create worlds I will then be thine as great as I am He doth not say if thou wilt satisfie my justice answer the demands of my law merit my love and favour then I will be thy God No he himself hath done all this for thee by the death of his Son All he desireth is that thou wouldst accept him in his Son for thy God Nay he doth not require of thee any thing that is barbarous or cruel as the heathen Deities did by the Devil of their worshipers He doth not say if you will lance and mangle your bodies as Baals Priests did if ye will go bare-foot in Sackcloth long and tedious pilgrimages as the Papists do if ye will offer your children in the fire and give the fruit of your bodies for the sins of your souls as some did then I will be your God Again he doth not require of thee
infinite being should much affect our hearts Praise ye the Lord Praise him O ye servants of the Lord Praise the name of the Lord Blessed from this time forth and for ever From the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same the Lords name is to be praised why the Lord is high above all Nations and his glory above the Heavens who is like to the Lord our God who dwelleth on high Psal 113.1 to 6. Praise him for his incomparableness in his attributes for the incomparableness of his power O Lord God of Host who is a strong Lord like unto thee Psal 89.8 For the incomparableness of his holiness Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness Exod. 15.11 For the incomparableness of his mercy Who is a God like unto thee pardoning iniquity and passing by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage because he delighteth in mercy Praise him for the incomparableness of his Words O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men Psal 107.8.15 21 31. Psal 72.18 Psal 136.4 Praise him for the work of Creation Psal 114.1 2 3 4 5. Job 38.4 5 6. Praise him for his works of Providence Psal 97.8 9. Psal 136. throughout Psal 107. Praise him especially for the work of Redemption Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed his people Luk. 1.68 Psal 9.1 Rev. 15.3 Praise him for the incomparableness of his Word Wonderful are thy Testimonies Psal 119.129 How often doth the sweet Singer of Israel praise God for them as a singular kindness Psal 147. two last verses He gave his Statutes to Moses his Laws and Commandments to Jacob He hath not dealt so with every Nation Praise ye the Lord. Praise him by admiring him Wonder at his being As they of Christ What manner of man is this that the winds and seas obey him Math. 8.27 What manner of God is this who knoweth no bounds no beginning no succession no addition An amazing admiration of him is an high commendation of him And indeed our silent wondering at his perfections is almost all the worship we can give him Psal 65.1 Praise waiteth for thee O God in Sion Heb. Praise is silent for thee O God in Sion not that praise was dumb or tongue-tyed in Sion for praise in no part of the world speaks higher or louder than in Sion but to shew that when the people of God set themselves to praise him they are struck with amazement and wonder at his matchless being and beauty at his infinite excellencies and perfections and wanting words to express them they sit down in a silent admiration of them Thou wouldst wonder at Adam if he were now alive for his age O wonder at him that is from everlasting to everlasting that is the cause and original of all things that is what he is that is and nothing else is that is all he is in one indivisible point of eternity Wonder at his attributes admire his holiness Behold he putteth no trust in his Servants he chargeth the Angels with folly Job 4.18 Behold wonder at it Again Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints the Heavens are not clean in his sight Job 15.15 Admire his wisdom cry out with the Apostle O the depth of the wisdom and knowledg of God Rom. 11.33 Admire his love Behold what manner of love hath the Father loved us with 1 Joh. 3.1 Admire his power that he can do what he will do Who is a strong Lord like unto thee Psal 89.8 Wonder at his Works Thou art ready to wonder at the rare works of some curious Artist alass all their works are toyes to the works of the mighty Creator and Possessor of Heaven and Earth O Lord how marvellous are thy works Psal 104.24 His work is honourable and glorious Psal 111.3 and worthy thy greatest wonder What a piece is the Creation how marveilous how mysterious Psal 8.1 2 3 4 5. The Heavens declare his glory Psal 19.1 and the earth is full of his goodness Psal 104.24 What a work is Providence read Psal 104. and 107. How many rarities curiosities mysteries are wrapt up in it which are only seen in the other world Psal 77.19 What man is this say they for he commandeth with authority and the unclean Spirits come out of men Mark 1.27 What a Master-piece what rare workmanship indeed is Redemption a work that the Angels are alwayes prying into and wondering at Eph. 3.8 1 Pet. 1.10 Wonder at his Word When thou hearest it dost thou not perceive a Majesty and Authority awing thy Conscience accompanying it And they were all amazed and astonished at his Doctrine Luk. 4.32 The very Officers who were sent to apprehend Christ could not but wonder at his words and returned to them who set them a work Never man spake as he spake Joh. 7.47 There are great things in the Law of God Hosea 8.12 things that are wonderful Psal 119.18 which may well be wondered at And all saith the Evangelist bare him witness and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth Luk. 4.22 Praise him by speaking alwayes highly and honourably of him If his name alone be excellent take heed that thou dost not take his excellent name in vain Thy apprehensions of him must be ever high and thy expressions of him honourable Thy Tongue is therefore call'd thy glory because therewith thou mayest glorifie thy God Psal 57.8 Never speak of God rashly or at random without a serious consideration of whom thou speakest and let thy expressions of him and to him be becoming his vast perfections Ascribe greatness to our God Deut. 32.3 Speak honourably of his being So Moses Exod. 15.11 Who is a God like unto thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises So Solomon 1 Kings 8.23 Lord God of Israel there is no God like unto thee in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath So David 1 Chron. 29.11 Speak honourably of his attributes Psal 68.34 of his power mercy truth justice wisdom and holiness Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Isa 6.3 Speak honourably of his words Psal 86.8 Among all the Gods there is none like unto thee neither are there any works like unto thy works Psal 145.10 Speak honourably of his Word The Commandments of the Lord are pure Psal 19.7 Thy word is very pure The Statutes of the Lord are right Psal 19.10 The Law is holy just and good Rom. 7.12 Though Paul's corruption took occasion by the Laws prohibitions to become the more unruly as the water at a Bridge roars the more for the stop yet he dares not lay the least fault upon the Law but layeth all upon himself was the Law Sin God forbid v. 7. Far be it from me to have the least such thought No the Law is holy but I am carnal sold under sin v. 14. So when he speaketh of the Gospel how honourably doth he speak of it
148.2 3. But this incomparably excellent God is above all this worship this highest worship though he be not above it so as to despise it Psal 50.15 and ult yet he is above it so as to exceed it that his Saints and Angels though their powers are enlarged to the uttermost though the strings of their faculties are wound and screwed up to the highest pitch and peg to sound forth his praise even then they will fall infinitely short of praising and blessing him according to his deserts Nehem. 9.5 Blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise He doth not say the name of God is exalted above the blessing and praise of men of Saints on earth in their imperfect state nor above the blessing and praise of Spirits of just men in heaven made perfect but above all blessing and praise above the blessing and praise of Men of Angels of the holiest Men of the highest Angels above all blessing and praise whatsoever and of whomsoever 6. He is so incomparably excellent that his excellencies are beyond the understanding and apprehension of Men and Angels The excellency of God is not only beyond all our expressions verbal in our words vital or real in our lives but also beyond all our apprehensions A fluent tongue may speak much of the excellency of God an enlarged rational understanding can apprehend much more The mind of man is much wider than his mouth but the excellency of God is infinitely beyond all our apprehensions of him His works are unsearchable Rom. 11.33 Lo he goeth by me and I see him not he passeth on and I perceive him not Job 9.11 He goeth by me in his works he passeth by me in the operations of his hands and I perceive him not There are such motions of God in the heavenly bodies earthly plants ordinary providences the growth of a Child in the womb c. that men are nonplust at them they are at a loss about the nature reason and mode or gradual progressions of them How much more is his being unsearchable and his essence past finding out If his footsteps are unconceivable and invisible much more is his face if his works cannot be apprehended much less can his nature because his works are in some respect finite as they are terminated on limited beings and they are also many of them visible and so obvious to our senses but his essence is wholly and altogether and in all respects infinite and is no way visible or liable to apprehension by our senses 1 Tim. 6.16 Who dwelleth in that light that is inaccessible As no mortal eye can behold the Sun in its full strength the attempt of which according to some hath struck the adventurers blind so no creature whatsoever can apprehend the incomparable God in his full beauty and brightness in his boundless excellency and perfection It 's the voice of God to Moses Thou canst not see my face for no man can see me and live Exod. 33.20 No man cloathed with a mortal body or in this estate of imperfection can behold an extraordinary created appearance of God but he is thereat filled with fears and frights Job 4.12 13 14 15. Job 21.22 Dan. 10.8.16 17. Habbak 3.16 No man no nor Angel can behold God in his infinite essence to the utmost of his perfections but would be thereat crumbled into nothing Reader if God be thus incomparably excellent that he is excellency it self the standard of all excellency that Angels hide their heads as ashamed of themselves before him that he condescendeth to shew the least respect to his high and perfect Host in Heaven that he is infinitely above all their blessings and praises all their conceptions and apprehensions what praise what honour what glory shouldst thou give to this God Though thou art unable to give him all the glory that is due to his name yea the thousand thousandth part thereof yet do thou give him all the glory thy mind will heart affections all thy faculties united together and enlarged to the utmost can possibly give him Say to thy Soul Bless the Lord O my Soul and all within me praise his holy name Psal 103.1 CHAP. XXVII Comfort to them that have the incomparable God for their portion THirdly This Doctrine may be useful by way of comfort to all the people of God If God be an incomparable God then they are incomparably blessed who take him for their God who have him for their happiness Every person or people is happy or miserable as the God is whom they serve as that is in which they place their felicity for nothing can give out more happiness to another than it hath in it self That good must of necessity be first in the cause either eminently or formally which is conveyed from it to the effect Those who serve the flesh as their God and chiefgood must needs be miserable Philip. 3.18 Rom. 16.18 Because the flesh is a base and vile Psal 49. ult a weak and impotent Isa 31.3 a fraudulent and deceitful Jer. 17.9 a fading and transitory God Psal 73.25 1 Cor. 6.23 So they who own and prize and love the world as their God and chief good of such we read the covetous man is call'd an Idolater and covetousness Idolatry Eph. 5.5 are miserable because their God is vain and empty Eccles 1.2 3. piercing and vexatious 1 Tim. 6.9 10. uncertain and unsatisfying Eccles 5.10 1 Tim. 6.17 frail and not lasting 1 Cor. 7.29 30. Prov. 23.5 Thus they who have Idols for their Gods are miserable because their Gods are poor pitiful blind deaf and impotent Deities They have eyes and see not the wants of their worshippers They have ears and hear not the supplications of their suppliants They have hands and work not for the relief of their Servants necessities or their deliverance out of their distresses and thence the Prophet infers the misery of their makers and adorers All that make them are like unto them blind and deaf and impotent as they are falshood a lie and vanity and nothing as they are 1 Cor. 8.4 1 Sam. 12.24 and so is every one that trusteth in them Psal 115.5 to 9. But the person who through Christ hath an interest in this great God the Almighty all-wise all-sufficient God is happy Happy is the people whose God is the Lord. Psal 144. ult And incomparably happy because that God who is his portion and happiness is an incomparable God Therefore as the Scripture mentions God to be incomparable in excellency it also mentions his people to be incomparable in felicity and infers their incomparableness from his incomparableness who is their God The holy Ghost tells us None is like God he hath no equal in worth and perfection Who is a God like unto thee Exod. 15.11 Among all the Gods there is none like to thee Psal 86.6 And the holy Ghost tells us also that no people is like the people of God and that