Vol. 768 The Incompreheñfblenefs of God. j. cy in the Gofpel was a thing which the Angels defired to pry into. In Heaven that which is in part jhall be done away, that is, our knowledge (hall be perfect as our Natures are capable ; but it /hall be finite. When we !hall fee God face to face, that is, have an immediate vifion of_him, andfee him as he is, that is, not having our Underfiandings tin&ur'dby any luft or paffion that may darken our Mind, or mifreprefent the Objebl ; for the'Apoftle tells us, we (hall fee him , becaufe we jha/l be like him ; yet then we thait have íhort and unadequate apprehenfions of him, we (hall ftill retain our limited Natures and finite Underftandings. If. By way of Convi&ion. Doft thou know pettedly the Nature of a finite Spirit, the Perfe&ion and the Power of an Angel , how being immaterial they can ad upon mater, .and move that which can make no refiftance to a Spirit? Doft thou know how they can move themfelves to a great diftance in a moment; and dart themfelves from one part of the World to another ? Doft thou know how man isformed in the loweji parts of theearth , as the Pfalmift expreffeth it ; and the curious Frame of our Bodies is wrought from fuch 'rude Principles in fo dark a Shop ? Canft thou give an account how the Soul is united to the Body, by what bands or holds a Spirit is fo clofely and intimately conjoined to Mat- ter ? Doft thou know how thy felt underftandeft any thing, and canft retain the difhin& Ideas and Notions of fo many Obje&s without confufion ? Doft thou know the leaft parts of Matter , how they are knit together ; and by what Cement they cleave fo faft to one another , that they can hardly be fepa- rated ? Now if the Creatures be fo unfearchable, and the knowledge of thefe be too hard for thee ; is not the Creator of them much more Incomprehenfible, who poffeffeth all thefe Perfe&ions which he communicates , and many which can- not be communicated to a Creature ? If in natural and fenfible Things, maxima pars eorum quce fcimus, ell minimapars eorum quer nefcimus ; how much More is it true of God, that our ignorance is morethan our knowledge ; when the whole Earth and all the Creatures bear no proportion to him ? Ifa. 40. 1 s, 17. Beholdall the Nations of the Earth are as the drop of the bucket , and as thefmall daft of the ba- lance ; all nations before him are nothing, and are accounted to him left than no- thing. M. By (hewing you the clear Reafon of it, which is this, the difproportion between the Faculty and the Obje&, the Finitenefs of our Underftandings, and the Infinitenefs of the Divine Nature and Perfe&ións. God is greater than our hearts, and therefore as he knows more than we do, as the Apoftle reafons, 1 7obn 3. zo. fo he is more than can be known by us ; he is too vaft an Obje& for our Underflanding to entertain, for our Minds to receive. Thou may'ft as well mete out the Heaven with a fpan , and meafure the Waters in the hollow of thy hand, and comprehend the duff of the earth in a little Urn, and weigh the-Mountains in fome fcales, and the Hills in a little Balance, as think to cir- cumfcribe God in the narrow limits of thy thoughts , or to bring that which is infinite within the compafs of that which is finite. And there is not only the vaftnefs and greatnefs of the Obje&; but the Glo- ry and Refplendency of it does fo dazzle our fight, that we cannot pettedly fee it, a Tim. 6. 16. He dwelleth in light which no man can approach unto, whom no man bathfeen, nor can fee. As God is toobig, fo he is too bright an Objett for our Underftandings ; the prefence of his Glory overpowers our Minds, and bears down our.Faculties, and conquers our Underftandings. I come now to apply this Do&rine of the Incompreheniblenefs of the Di- vine Nature. If the Nature, and Perfe&ions, and Ways, and Works of God be Incomprehenfible, and pall finding out, I.It calls for our Admiration, and Veneration, and Reverence. Thefe are the beft apprehenfions of him that is Incomprehenfible; a filent Veneration of his Excellencies, is the beft acknowledgment of them. We muff admire what we cannot apprehend or exprefs, Zach. 9. 17.. Howgreat is hisgoodnefs, andhow great is his beauty t The beft way to celebrate the Pratt-es of God, is that which Nehe- miah ufeth, Nehem. 9. 5. AndWeld be thy gloriousname, which is exalted above all blejing
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