Seim. CIII: The Incomprehènfiblenefs of God. 769 blefng and praife. Whenever we fpeak or think of God, we neceffarily detraét from his Perfections ; but even thisneceffity is glorious to him, and this fpeakS his Perfe&ion, that the higlieft finite Underftanding mint have imperfect thoughts Of him: We should make up in Reverente and Veneration what we fall fhort of in Knowledge. Reverence is an acknowledment of diftance ; by our Reverenceof the Divine Majeny, we fhould ben awe our hearts, in a fenfe of the diftance whièh is between his infinite Nature and Perfe &ion, and our finite apprehenfi, will core Worldly geVe en will howmuch wonder, ore thoughts of thofe Excellencies ?which are CòmpóCe us to Reverence ; beyond what we can imagine ! I.fa. 6. you have there God reprefented fitting up- on his throne, and the Seraphims about him, which aredefcribed tous as having each fix wings, andwith twain they cover their faces. Creatures of the brighten Under- nanding, and the mooexalted Purity and Holinefs, cover their faces in the pre- fence of God's Glory, they chufe rather to venerate God than look upon him. II. This calls fór Humility and 1Vlodefy. The confideration of God's un-, fearchable Perfe&ions fhould make the haughtinefs óf man to hloop, andbring down his proud looks, andGod alone fhouldbe exalted. The thought of God's Excellency fhotild abafe us, and make us vile in our own eyes, it fhould make all thofe petty Excellencies that we pride our felves in, to vanifh and difappear. Thole treafures of c knowledge ,e pride fi hofe little Parts and Gifts we ar fo apt to glory s the Sun the Stars. When we confider God, we fhould be fo far from admiring our felves, that we fhould with an humble thankfulnefs wonder that God fhould regard fuch inconfiderable nothings às we are, Pfal. 8. a, 3, 4. 0 Lordour God, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who haft fit thy glory above the heavens l.When.I con- fider the heavens, thework of thy fingers, the Moon and the Stars which thou haflor- dained ; what is man; that thou art mindfúl of him ? or the fen of man, that thou vifitefl him ? He that confiders the Glory of God, and the greatnefs ofhis Works, will think fo meanly of himfelf, that he will be aftonifhed that God fhould mind him or vifit him: This is à noble (rain of humility in David, by which he ac- knowledgeth that the greaten King of the earth; how confiderable foever he may be in refped of Men, is yet b}ft a pitiful thing to God. of S.: a, 3: When we fpeak to God, w fhould do it with great humility, Ecct . z Let thy words be few, for God it in Heaven, and thou upon earth. We fhould fay to God, ob 37. 59. Teach as what we (hall fay unto thee, for we cannot order our fpeech by reafon of darknefs. And when we think or fpeakof him, we fhould do it with great modefty, we should not rafhly pronounce or determine any thing oncernìng God. Simonides being ask'd, What God was ? defired one days time to confider, then he defired two, and then four. The more we think of God; the lefs peremptory (hall we be in defining him. He that confiders that God is Incomprehenfible, will not pretend to know all the waysof infinite knowledge; and the utmoft of infinite Power, and all the Reafons of God's Ways and Provi- deuces. He that rightly values his own fhort Underftanding, and the unlimited Perfections of God, will not be apt to fay, this God cannot do, this he cannot know, fuch ways are net agreeable to his Wifdom. He that knows God and himfelf, will be niodeft in thefe cafes, he will i7rizev, abftain from all perempto- ry pronouncing in thefe matters ; he confiders that one Man many times differs fo tnùch from another in knowledge and skill of working, that he can do thofe things which another believes, impoffible : but we have pitiful thoughts of God, if we think the difference between one Man and another, is any thing to the van diftance that is between the DivineUndemanding andour Ignorance, the Divine Power and our Weaknefs, the Wifdom of God and the Folly of Men. III. The Ìncomprehenfiblenefs of God's Perfe &ions calls for the higheft degree of our affe&ion. How fhould we fear this great glorious God ! Pfal. 510.'11. Who knoweth thepower of thine anger ? even according to thy fear, fo is thy wrath. Tear is the molt infinite of all our Pallions, and fills us with the moo endlef ea- Fff,ff Iic
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