the heavens and the earth shall perish from off the earth, and from under those heavens.a 2. We must reverently adore God, as a Being transcendantly bright and blessed, self-existent, and self-sufficient, an infinite and eternal Spirit, that has all perfections in himself, and give him the glory of his titles and attributes. O Lord our God, thou art very great, thou art clothed with honour and majesty, thou coverest thyself with light as with a garment,b and yet, as to us, makest darkness thy pavilion,c for we cannot order our speech by rea son of darkness.d This is the message which we have heard of thee, and we set to our seal that it is true, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all :e and that God is love, and they that dwell in love, dwell in God, and God in them.f Thou art the Father of light, with whom is no variableness or shadow of turning, and from whom proce ed every good and perfect gift,g Thou art the blesssed and only Potentate; the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who only hast immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto, which no man hath seen or can see.h We must acknowledge his being to be unqestionable and past dispute. The heavens declare thy glory, O God, and the firmament showeth thy handy-work,i and by the things that are made is clearly seen and understood thine eternal power and Godhead.k So that they are fools without excuse, who say there is no God; for verily there is a reward for the righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth, and in heaven too./ We therefore come to thee, believing that thou art, and that thou art the powerful and bountiful rewarder of them that diligently seek thee.m Yet we must own his nature to be incomprehensible. a Jer. x. 11. d job. xxxvii. 19. James, i. 17. Rom. 1,20. Pal. civ. 1 2. e 1 John,i. 5. c P. xviii. 11. ƒJohn, iv. 16. iPs. xix. 1. m Heb. xi. 6. We cannot by searching find out God, we cannot find out the Almighty unto perfection.a Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.b Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can show forth all his praise ?c -And his perfections to be matchless and without compare. Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders ?d Who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord; who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee, or to thy faithfulness round about thee ?e Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord, neither are there any works like unto thy works; for thou art great, and dost wondrous things; thou art God alone.g There is not any creature that has an arm like God, or can thunder with a voice like him.h —And that he is infinitely above us and all other beings. Thou art God, and not man; hast not eyes of flesh, nor seest thou as a man seeth ;; thy days are not as the days, of man, nor thy years as man's days.k As heaven is high above the earth, so are thy thoughts above our thoughts, and thy ways above our ways 1 All nations before thee are as a drop of the bucket, or the small dust of the balance, and thou takest up the isles as a very little thing: they are as nothing, and are counted to thee less than nothing and vanity.m Particularly in our adorations we must acknowledge (1.) That he is an eternal God, immutable, without, beginning of days, or end of life, or change of time. Thou art the King eternal, immortal, invisible.n Before the mountains were brought forth, or even thou hadst formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting thou art God ;o the same yesterday, today, and for ever.p a Job, xi. 7. d Ex. Xv, 11. b Psal. cxiv. 3. e Psal. lxxxix. 6, 8. ¿ Hos. xi, 9. m Isa. xl. 15, 17. Heb. xiii. 8. c Ps. cvi. 2. g Psal. lxxxvi. 8. 10. k Job. x, 4, 5. n 11 im, i. 17. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thy hands; they shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old, like a garment, as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.a Thou art God, and changest not; therefore is it that we are not consumed.b Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord our God, our holy One ?c The everlasting God, even the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, who faintest not, neither art weary; there is no searching out of thine understanding.d (2.) That he is present in all places, and there is no place in which he is included, or out of which he is ex cluded. Thou art a God at hand, and a God afar off; none can hide himself in secret places that thou canst not see him, for thou fillest heaven and earth.e Thou art not far from every one of us.g We cannot go any where from thy presence, or fly from thy spirit; if we ascend into heaven, thou art there; if we make our bed in hell, in the depths of the earth, behold thou art there; if we take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead us, and thy right hand shall hold us, that we cannot outrun thee.h (3.) That he hath a perfect knowledge of all persons and things, and sees them all, even that which is most secret, at one clear, certain, and unerring view. All things are naked and open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do, even the thoughts and intents of the heart.i Thine eyes are in every place beholding the evil and the good k they run to and fro through the earth, that thou mayest show thyself strong on the behalf of those whose hearts are upright with thee./ Thou searchest the heart and triest the reins, that a Psal. cii. 25, 26, 27. d Isa. xi. 28. b Mal. iii. 6. e Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. Psal. cxxxix. 7,8,9,10). ¡Heb. iv, 12, 13, 72 Chron. xvi, 9. c Heb. i. 12. thou mayest give to every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.a O God, thou hast searched us, and known us, thou knowest our down-sitting and our up-rising, and under, standest our thoughts afar off: thou compassest our path and our lying down, and art acquainted with all our ways; there is not a word in our tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Such knowledge is too wonderful for us; it is high, we cannot attain unto it.b Darkness and light are both alike to thee, (4.) That his wisdom is unsearchable, and the counsels and designs of it cannot be fathomed. Thine understanding, O Lord, is infinite; for thou tellest the number of the stars, and callest them all by their names.c Thou art wonderful in counsel, and excellent in wor◄ king.d Wise in heart and mighty in strength. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all ;e all according to the counsel of thine own will.g O the depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God !/ how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out. (5.) That his sovereignty is incontestible, and he is the owner and absolute Lord of all. The heavens, even the heaven of heavens are thine, and all the host of them. The earth is thine, and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.k In thy hand are the deep places of the earth, and the strength of the hills is thine, also: the sea is thine, for thou madest it, and thy hands formed the dry land :/ all the beasts of the forest are thine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills: thou art therefore a great God, and a great King above all gods. In thy hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.m Thy dominion is an everlasting dominion, and thy kingdom is from generation to generation: thou dost ac a Jer. xvii. 10. b Psal. cxxxix. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12. d Isa. xxviii. 29. Job, ix. 4. e Psal. civ. 24. Rom, xi. 33. Psal. i. 10. ¿Ps. cxv. 16. xxiv. 1. c Ps.cxlvii. 4, 5. g Eph. i. 11. k Ps. xcv. 3,4, 5. cording to thy will in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay thy hand, or say unto thee, What dost thou? Or why dost thou so?a (6.) That his power is irresistible, and the operations of it cannot be controuled. We know, O God, that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee :6 power belongs unto thee ;c and without thee nothing is impossible.d All power is thine, both in heaven and in earth.e Thou killest and thou makest alive, thou woundest and thou healest ; neither is there any that can deliver out of thy hand.g What thou hast promised, thou art able also to perform.h (7.) That he is a God of unspotted purity, and perfect rectitude. Thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Holy and reverend is thy name ;k and we give thanks at the remembrance of thy holiness./ Thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity,m nei ther shall evil dwell with thee.n Thou art the rock, thy work is perfect, all thy ways' are truth and judgment; a God of truth, and in whom is no iniquity. Thou art our rock, and there is no unrighteousness in thee.p Thou art holy in all thy works,q and holiness becomes thy house, O Lord, for ever.r (8.) That he is just in the administration of his govern ment, and never did,nor ever will do wrong to any of his creatures. Righteous art thou, O God, when we plead with thee,s and wilt be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest.t a Dan. ii. 34, 35. |