A Ptaflical Expojition fufpe6l the Power and A.bili1y of God to relieve and help us, the Conc!k.fion of;;;;, Prayer puts in a Caution againft a,ll Unbelieving Scruples in this Cafe ; Thin( is Jbe Power:. So that we have abundant fecuriry for our Faith in whatfoever we dtfire of God, becaufe he hath declared himfelf both willing and able to fopply our Wants and fatisfie our Defires. Indeed the Power of God alone is nor a fufficienr Plea fo; we have before feen that God is able to effefl: infinitely more than he will; bur' tben the Power of God is a frrong and forcible Plea wheri it is joined with his Will : And when we are once affured by the Pro~ifi~s of his Word that God is willing to befrow upon us the Bleffings <hat we ask, then to bend the Force of this Plea toward• him, that he is likewife able, willmo(t certainly prevail. And that Prayer that is dire8:ed in Faith, and winged with both thefe Motives, fha!i never retu'rn imo our Bofoms in vain, and ineffeEt:ual. Thus have I finilhed the Two Firfr A.urih111es ofGod made iife of by our Saviour in this Prayer, his Sovcreigmy, and his Omnipotency. It remains now th'ar We fpeak fomerhing to the Third Aurih~tU of God, which our Lord here teacherh us w tnake ufe of in praying to him, and that is the Glory of God. fOr thine it tbe Gl"ry. But this:is an Attribute fo bright and dazling, fo furrounded and fringed about whh Rays of inaccellible Light, thar the Holy Angels themlelves cannot flodfJO!y behold it, hut twinkle and glimmer, yea, veil lheir Faces, atthe full Beams ofrbcn Objetl the Vifion of which is Y<t their Eternal Joy and Happinefs. /lnd therefore what: foever weak or vile Man can eirher fpeak or conceive of rbe lnfinireGiory of rhe Great God, will infiead ofexalriog, debafe, it ; and we lhaU bur defame while we attempt to celebrate it; fo infinitely do the Perfe8iont of the Deity furmounr our moft raifed Affeaions, that our very Praiks thereof are but leffening of it: And wharfoevet we afcribe umo God is bur derra£Hng from him. Think with yourfelves a little, if Two Blind Men that never faw the Su11 were difcourfing together about ir, what ftrange, uncouth and improper, Fancies would they form of its Light and Splendor? Surely fuch, yea, vafily more, confufed and difproponioncd all our Notions and Conceptions of the Glory ofGod, which is a Light that is invifible, Obfcurity that is dazling, and whatfoever elfe is mofi inconceivable to humane C:t paciries. For the Scri'pture fometirnes defcribes God's DweHing-place to be in that Light unto wbicb no ,Morta/Eye &aqapproach, And fometimes that hisPauillion is dark C'loudt) t\'hich no Eye can penetrate : And both do fignifie how impoffible a Thing it is to (earch out God, and to find out the Almighty to Perfetlion. Yet fince he hath been gracioufly plea fed to give us fome refratled and allay'd Rap of himfelf~ fuch as we are able to b:ar, both in the Works of Creation and Provi· dence, and likewife in his Holy Word, let us with all humble Modefly take notice ofthofe Difcoveries which he bath made ofhisGiory, wherein we fhall find enougb, if not w fatis6e our Curiofity1 yet to excire our Veneration, and by ffeing fome Glimpfesofhis Back-parts which he caufes ro pafs before us, our Defires will be made more earneft after that Efiate of confummare Happinefs, where we fhall for ever behold his Face, where we !hall no longer fee him darkly Jbrough a Glajs, bot ihall fee him as be is, and !mow bim as we are known by him. Glory tberefore, according to the true and genuine import of the Word, fignifies any Excellency or Perfe£Hon in a Subjctl that eirher is ?r.def~rves to be accompanied with Fame and Renown. /lnd hence we may well dr!hngurfh a Twofold Glory in God, the one E{f~ntial1 the other Dec!aratiT.Je. The EJ!enrial Glory of God is the Colletlion and Syfrem of thofe Attributes whiclt Erernally and Immutably belong unto the Divine Nature. The Declarative Glory ofGod is the Manifeflati<;m ofrhofe his Attribute~, fo tbat his Creatures may rake notice of them with Praife and Veneration. Both are here intended by our Savioar when he teacheth us to afcribe the Glory unto God. God is Effintially GloriCJus in all rhoff: Artribures which apperrain unto his Infinite Being, for each ofrhem is infinitely perfe8: in it?fel~ and rbe Complexion and con.cen· tring of them all together make up a Glory rnfinrtely Great and lncomprehenfrble. Thus his Holinejt is Glorious, Exod. 15. r r. G/oriout in Holincfi. His Power is Glorious, 2 Th'.ff r. 9· Thty jha/1 he punijhed witb Evfrlajling Dfjlr11flion fro~n Jbf Prifence of the Lord, and from tlu Glory of bit Power. Col. 1. 1 r.Strengtbcnedtortb all Might according to his GICJri(lus Power. His .A1.ajejly is Glorious. PJat. '4?· 5· I o>illfpeak of tbe Glorious Honour o[bir Majejly. His Kingdom is Glorious, Pja/.45· 11. T/Jty jhallfpea~ of Jbe Glory ofJhy Kmgdom. ~JS Grae< and Mmy IS Glonous, Epb'.f.
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