402 Chap. is. "in Expnfitionupon the Bookof Jos. Vert z I; Obferve from it, Firfts That theLod kith an excellency in him. Excellency is an excefs in any quality, or a gradual height- ning of any thing orperfon above another. We are to confider this that we may give Godglory, andpraife him (as the Pfalmift fpeaketh) according to his excellent greatnefs. God bath an ex- cefs ofgoodnefs in him ; not an excefs, as excefs notes fuper.. flaity or more than needeth, but an excels, as it notes more than is in any other-betides h nfelf. Theexcellency of God may be confidered two waies, .a. abfolutely, as it is an excellency in himfel , z. comparatively, to all other.excellencies. God is ex- cellent beyond compare ; they who have an excellency, have none like unto Gods, or none at all compared with God. The Prophet tels us, that the nations are as a drop ofa bnckgt, and are counted as thefmall daft ofthe balance,yea,all nations are before him as nothing, and they are counted to him lets than nothing,and vanity, 1í4.4.15,17. Befides,the greatetf excellency of man is a fading ex- cellency ( job 4.11. < Troth not their excellencywhich is in themgo away ? Men go away not only as they are poor and mean, but as cloathed with excellency, whether outward excellency or inward excellency the beautyo4 the body,learning,wifdom,eloquence, theendowments and riches of the mind, all thefe excellencies which are in them goawayJourneyethit notwith them(wn they make their journey out of the world ? ) as Mr. i Broughton he reads that place. And as the excellency of all men (I mean their worldly excellency) (hall go away, foefpecially fhall the excel- lency of the hypocrite (job 20..6) Thougbhis excellency mount up to the heavens, andhis heed reach unto the clouds, yet he/hall perifhfor ever. .Hypocrites makea great fhew, they-have not only the profeffion of religion, but often the beaùty of religion fhining upon them, there is a verdure and flourifhing greennefs upon their ways to the viewof man : but though their excellency mount up to the heavens,yet down they fhall,they1hall lye down, , and everlafhingcontempt (hall cover them. Further, Wemay open the excellency of God under a three- fold notion. 1. There is an excellency of. his Being. 2. Of his Attri,utes. 3. Of his Works. Inall thefewe Mould acquaint our (elves with his rxcellency Fir. ft;
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