406 Chap. .3. Ah Exvofition upon the Book of JoB. Verf, a a. (that is the God of Ifrael) who rideth upon the heaven to thy help, and inhis excellency on ihe:ske ? God is faid to ride to thehelp ofhis people, becaufe hehelps them fpeedily;and he rideth inhis excellency, that he may thew his (late and magnificence when he comes to help them. When God works in his excellency, we (hall fee the excellencies of God imprinted uponhis works. Haft thou an arm like v "ód ? faith lihu to fob, or canfi thou thun- der witha voice like him ?Can'?thou teach like Ged?(faith he alfo) Wemay fay to the worker,Canff thouworklike God?to the teach- er, Canfl thou teach like God ? to the fouldier, Conti thou fight like God ? Now, as there is an excellency in the ßeing,Attributes and Works of God, fo this his excellency Should ftrongly affeet and over-aw our hearts : Shouldnot his excellencymakeyouafraid? Hence Obferve, The excellency of God fhould keep men in a holy compofuro of fpirit, in a holy care to pleafe him, in a holy fear of offending him. What? before the excellency of God, before a God fo ex- cellent in Being, fo excellent in the manner of his Being, fo ex- cellent in working, and we walk loofely and carelefly ? Let this excellencyof his make us afraid. The Lord moff high is terrible, (Pfal.47.z.) he is terriblebecaufe fohigh. The Preacher in his defcription ofold men, faith, %hey(hall beafraid ofthat which is high (Ecclef. x2.5.) Old age loves to keep upon even ground, for fear of falling : But the youngeft and tlouteft of men, they whoare moll ambitious of clambring unto high places,havecaufe to be afraidof the molt highGod, and when he difcovers his, highnefs they will be afraid. Men never fear that which is but equalto them, and until they conceive anexcellency in God,they never fear him. Davidprayeth that God would he pleafed to Mew his excellency, his greatnefs and his highnefs to his ene- mies ( Pfd. 8.6.) Arife, O Lord,in thineanger, lift up thy hecaufe of the rage of mineenemies, for theirf tikes return thou on high. Why would he have God to lift up himfelf, and to return on high ? The Lord is ever on highs The meaning is, Do thou declare thy fell to beonhigh,let thy excellencyappear above ill. Why ? What will be the effect of this ? So (faith he) (hall the congregationof the people compafs thee abort ; that is, they (hall crouch and fall down before thee when thou appeareft in thy highnefs. WhenChrifi appeared in hishighnefs, thoughbut as a Lamb,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=