~-------..;___;--·- A Praflical Expojition Again:, T~?~e Excellencie5 that are in the Creatures, and cannot formally agrc ~ith t~e D1vmc f.J]encc~ yet they are all in him eminently.- Are any Crearur~ Excellent for the Beauty and Symmetry of their Parts, for Light, for Motion or fuch like Qualities, that do not htlong unro rbe Divine Nature? Yet all rh efe ~re emj. Qently in God for he is the Prime and Original Caufe from whom rhey derive thei r Being ~nd PerfeEl:i on; fo that all Glory is his, his incommunicatively from any orher communiCatively from him. 1 Secondly, 1111 Glory in rifp<ll of God is but Darkntji and Objcurity. And ro it Was both a True and Divine Conception·of Plato when he fa id That Light war hut a Shadow of God; for as Shadows are vafl!y dark when the Light rhat furrounds ihem ~ppears, fo God is infinitely brighter than Light irfe!f ( Yea, rhe Sun rhar Created Fountain of Light, is but a Black Coal COR'lpared with this Erernal father of Lights. This is well exprelftd by Job 25. >· Behold even to the A1oon -nd it foinctb not, and tbe Stars are not pure in his Sight. As the Light of the S~n wben ic arifeth drowns and extinguifheth aU other Lights, (for it s Brightnefs :.~s it brings a Oay ro all the re[! of the World, fo it brings a Night to rhe ~rars,) fo the Infinite Srighrnefs of theGlory of God overcafts all orher Glory whadoever wirh Nigbr and Ob!curiry. Hence it is fa id That God charg<rh his Ang<ls with Folly, Joh 4 . 8. So that if rhofe Wife and InrelleElual Creatures he compared wirh God rhey are hut Foolilh and lgnoranr.; for the Glory of his lnfini!e and Unfearchable llnderftanding fo far tranfcends therr Reach that they know nothmg m Companfon wtrh him who knowerh all Things. The Two Chiefeft Glories of Men are Wifdom and Strength Wi_fdom to cyntri've, and Power to execute, thefe perfea him as he is a Man; bur yet fee how the Apoflle undervalues both thefe when compared with God· 1 Cor r. •i. The Foo/ifhntji of God is wifer than Men, and the Weakn<ft of God;; flronger than if/en. And therefore becaufe God's Glory is infinitely furpaf!ing all others our Saviour afcribes it to him peculiarly, Thine is tb< Glory. Thirdly, B<eatif< all other Qtofies in th< Cnaturts ferve only to illujlrate the Glory of the Great God. Seefl rhou any Excellency and PerfeElion in any of rheCrearures > God barh fo endowed rhem wirh it, not that rhou lhoulde!l fix there, and make rhat thy Idol, but that thou mighren have a flint from thence how much more perfill he himfelfis, and rake rhy Rife from Vifible Excellencies ro. admirethofe rharare Invifihle. Is there fo much Beaury and Harmony in the Frame of Nature? Think then how much more harmonious and orderly are the Counfels and Defigns of the Great God, who barb contrived and difpofed rhe wholeCourfe and Circuit of Second Caufes. Is rhere fa much Awe and Dread in the Prefence of an Earthly lrlaj~Jiy to daunt all that are nor Impudent and Profligate Offenders? Think then how infinitely Venerable is rhe Face of the Great God, fince it is only forne Ray of his Aurhoriry and Majefty fhining in them thar makes them fo dreadful. Is it fuch a Pleafant Thing to rhe Eye ro behold the Light? Raife then not thine Eye of Senfe, bur thine Eve of Faith, to confider bow infinitely Bright and G!orious that Light is that is n~ve: Clouded; that Lighr which though it infinitely dHtufe hfelf, yet refides always mns Cemer ; For God is Light, and in him there is no Darknefs at all> I John r. 5. Thus you fee rhat God bath therefore made any Created Bein! Glorious and Excellent, that it might ferve as a Monitotto put us in Mind of his greaterGlory; and the more Excellent any Perfetl:ions are in the Creature, the greater Advantage have we from theoo to raife Ollt Meditations unto God. And having rhus fhewn you why Glory is in fucb an efpecial Manner attributed unto Godf Thine i.r tbe Glory, it remains !low to confider what Force this Plea ha1h to confirm our Faith, that, we fhall obtain from God rhofe Things which we pray for; and here let us fee irs Inftuence upon e\•ery Petition. . Fir!l, The Glory is God's, therefore his Name fhall be Hallowed . For bisDe· · clararive Power confifls in the Hallowing of h.is Name, fince to Hallow is no1hing elfe (as I fhewed you in the Explication of rhar Peririon) but to declare God ro be Holy, and tbis is to give Glory unto God. Hem;e we have them borh joined to· g~:ther, Levit . 10. 3· I will be fanlli}ied by tbtm that come nighun(o mt, and hefora alltbc People I will be glorified. To fanl.lifie is ro glorifie God. And therefore «what better Argumem can we urge that God would provide for rhe Santlifying of his Name than this, rhat rhe Glory is his, and if 'his Name be propbaned in rhe World ,
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