A Praflical Expojition f?rtherecanno ltlanfee my Face and live. And although the A.ngels in Heaven, and tbe Sp1n1J of ]11jl Men made perfea, have bnghter and more radiant Difcoveries mad~! unto them of rho Glvry of God than any that we can b~ar,yet neither they nor any othel Creature can ~ollibly comprehend the full.Latitude and utmolt Extent of <bat Glo~y, any more than u ts poffib1e for a fimte Thmg to comatn what 1s mfinite. And hence it follOws, that when thC Scripture promifeth us as one great Part of our Reward that wejbolljee God as he is, 1 Jobn 3· 7· we ljlult not underiland it as if e"cr we coold arrive to fuch a Capacity as to iee and kp.ow God as he is in his Infinite E.f!ence . for God's E[Jence being altogether indivifible,to•know God eO:entially, were <o kno.: him comprehenfively, to know him as much as he is to be kbown in himfelf. that is, to·knoW him as much as he knows himfelf,-which is irnpoffible, for no' finite Under!landing can comprehend an infinite ObjeEI. · And yet our Sight and Knowle<ige of God /hall fo far furmount thofe dim and glimmering Dilcoveri<S which here he makes of himfelfto us, that comparatively- the A.poflle might well call it a feeing him as he is, and a knowing him os we are kniJWn by him. , And thus much for the E.!fential Glory ofGod; which is himfelf, and £is own lilfi· nire and Eternal Excellencies and Peifei.lions. But befides this, Secondly, There is another GLory ofGod, and that is his Declarat ive G/{lry, which is nothing elfe but that vifibleSplendor and Lultre that refleEls from his Ei.f!enllal Glcry upon rhe Notice and Admiration of his Creatures : So ~hat there is a very great difte: rence between God's being Glorious and being Glorified. God is always •qually Glorious in himff:lf, fohe was before the Foundations of the World were laid, befOre e\'er there were any Creatures to Celebrate his Praife; but he is glorified by his Creatures, declaring and fetting fOrth the infinite Excellencies that are in his E.ffence. We cannot fi:t any New Gems in his Diadem which did not fhine there btfo1e ; but w.hen we ob'ferve and admire thofe feveral Corufcations of his ,.11ttributcs which appear in thofe various Methods that Go'tl 1akes to manife!l them, then are we faid to give Glory unto God. His Holinefs is always the fame, but when we.endeavour to imi· tate·itr then we glorifie it. His Power is always the fame, bur we glorifie it when we depend upon it. His Mercy and Goodnefs'is always the fame, but we are faid to ~lorifie it when we praife and extol it; and therefore God tells us, Pfal. 56. 2J· Wbojd ojfcreth Praije glorifieth me. We can add nothing to God by all the Glory that we afcribe unto him ; but thenwe are faid to give him Glory when we admire, 01nd adore, and celebrate, thofe Glories that are in him. And fo S. John 12. 28. Chria prays, Father glorifie thy Name ; that is, make thine b)Jential Glory, tbe Glory and :Srightnefs of thine Jluribuus, conipicuous to the World ; ro wh1ch Requefi there was an .Aitfwer returned from Heaven, I have both glorified it, and will g/(JT'ifie it •gain; that is, (as 1 fuppofe the Words may well be interpreted,) 1 have a !read~ g!C> rified my Mercy, which is my ]'llame, in t.hY Incarnation and li1iffion, and 1 will alfo glcrifie my Jujlice in thy Poffion and Crucifixion: By the one declaring how G<a• cious 1 am in providing a Saviour for theruin'd World, by the other how ju!l and Holy! am in exaEling a fullaudcompleat SatisfaE\ion for the Sins and Tranfgrefftons of the World. Now we may both add unto and diminifh from this Declarative Glory of God. We tob God of his Glory when we interpofe between his Attributts and the Manifefia. tion of them unto others. We hereby wrong and injure his Repute and Efteem in the World; and although we cannot pluck off any of his A.uributes from him, (For if thoujinnefi, what daft 1hou ngainj/6od f Job 35· 6.) yet we obfiruCl tbe!bining of them upon others; as in an E'clipfe of the Sun, the Moon doth not darken the Sun, but only darkens us, and hinders the Light which frill is the fame in itfelf fwm breakingout upon the Lower World : So wicked Men by their Sins, though they cannot deprive God of the Brightnefs of his Glory, yet they impede the Emanations and Ol!t·flowings of his Glory, and hinder othetS from admiring and adoring of it as they ought, • Now the Ways whereby God ufeth to exprefs and declare his Glory are various. Firfi,He doth it by his Works,Pfnl. 19. 1. The Heavirtt declare the Glory ofGod, ond. the Firmament jhewetb hir litmdy·worR.. For they manifefi ro the World the Attnbum and Perfetlionr of their Great Creator, even his Wifdom, Power and 6ioodnifs. Some of God's Workt are his F'ootjlepr, 3nd fome are his Images : Tbelmageof God is ~een in Rational and lntelleElual Creatures 1 and by confidering the W1jdom, Underjlandmg; and 111ental f'arultics, that Ciodhathendol'l'ed them with, we may come to appreFo~!
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