The Incomparableness of God, Treatise · Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. If God be incomparable, then incomparable Service and Worſhip is due to him.
FOurthly, If God be an incomparable God, then incomparable Service and Worſhip is due to him. All ſervice muſt be ſutable to its object. The higher the Prince, the higher honour he doth and may expect. The Heathen were ſenſible of this, that ſuch worſhip muſt be given to their Deities as was ſuitable to them; therefore the Perſians who worſhipped the Sun, offered to him a flying horſe, noting ſtrength and ſwiftneſs; becauſe the Sun was ſtrong to run his race. God is a great God, and therefore muſt have great worſhip. Solomon gives this reaſon why the Temple, the place of Gods worſhip, muſt be great, 2 Chron. 2.3. The Houſe which I build is great (why?) for great is our God above all Gods. A great Palace is moſt ſuitable and becoming a great Prince. It reflects upon God, it's a ſlighting him, to give him any thing that is ordinary; as it is to a King to be put off with common entertainment at the houſes of his Subjects. As he is the beſt, ſo he will be ſerved with the beſt. Curſed be the deceiver; who hath in his ſtock a Male, and offereth to the Lord a corrupt thing. Why, what is the matter, that there muſt be ſuch care about, and choice of his Sacrifices? God himſelf gives you the reaſon, and a good reaſon for it, For I am a great King, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, and my name is dreadful among the Heathen, Mal. 1.10. Petty Princes may be owned and ſerved with petty Preſents; but a great King, a great Soveraign, muſt have great Sacrifices.
When the Prophet had deſcribed the incomparable excellency of God, how all Nations were to him as the leaſt drop in a Bucket to the Ocean, and the ſmall duſt in the ballance to the whole earth, as nothing and leſs than nothing, he preſently infers, Lebanon is not ſufficient to burn, nor all the Beaſts thereof for a burnt offering, Iſaiah 40.15, 16, 17. Lebanon abounded in all Spices for incenſe and perfumes, and in Cattle for Sacrifices and Burnt Offerings; but all the Spices and perfumes there, all the Beaſts and Cattle there, were below, and inſufficient for ſo incomparable a Being: he is ſo great that no ſervice can be great enough for him.
1. This incomparable God calls for incomparable awe and reverence. Excellency commandeth awe. Should not his excellency make you afraid, and his dread fall upon you? Job 13.11. ſhould not the vaſtneſs of his perfections provoke you to awefulneſs in your converſations? His name alone is excellent, Pſal. 148.13. The greater diſtance between any perſons, the greater reverence is expected. The Husband is the head of the Wife, therefore ſhe is commanded to reverence her Husband, 1 Cor. 7. Eph. 5. ult. There is a great civil diſtance between Maſters and Servants, therefore the command runs, Servants be obedient to your Maſters with fear and trembling, Eph. 6.5. But now between God and us there is an infinite diſtance, and therefore there ought to be (if it were poſſible) infinite reverence, (he is ſo vaſtly above and beyond all others in excellency, that he alone deſerves the name of excellency) therefore his name is holy and reverend, Pſal. 111.10. and he is to be greatly feared. The greateſt excellency calleth for the greateſt reverence. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praiſed, he is to be feared above all Gods, Pſal. 96.4. This uſe David makes of Gods incomparableneſs, Who in the Heavens can be compared to the Lord? who among the Sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? What then? what followeth on this? God is greatly to be feared in the aſſembly of his Saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him, Pſal. 89.6, 7. Becauſe in our whole converſations we muſt walk with God, therefore we are commanded to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long, Prov. 23.17. But becauſe in Ordinances we have more immediately and ſpecially to do with him (then we are ſaid to appear before him, Pſal. 42.2.) therefore we are bound therein to be moſt aweful and reverential. Subjects ſhew moſt reverence in the preſence Chamber of their Soveraign. O with what awe and dread ſhould mortals appear in the preſence of him who inhabiteth eternity! ſhould duſt and aſhes draw nigh to the mighty Poſſeſſor of heaven and earth? Eccl. 5.1, 2. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the houſe of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the Sacrifice of Fools; be not raſh with thy mouth, let not thine heart be haſty to utter any thing before God (but why all this care and caution?) for God is in Heaven, and thou art on Earth. His incomparable Majeſty calleth for incomparable reverence: Majeſty is dreadful. He is cloathed with Majeſty, Pſ. 39.1. (All over Majeſty) therefore let all the earth ſtand in awe of him. He is adorned, ſurrounded with Majeſty, therefore we muſt be filled with the awe of him. Iſa. 2.10, 19, 20. Fear and Majeſty are three times conjoyned. His incomparable power calls for incomparable reverence. Power is aweful; and the greater the power is, the greater awe is required, Math. 10.28. Fear not them that can kill the Body, and can do no more; but fear him who is able to caſt Soul and Body into Hell. As if Chriſt had ſaid, I know you are of timerous ſpirits, and men of fearful tempers, ye are apt to tremble, and to be frighted at every thing; well I will direct you, how you may make this paſſion advantagious to you, viz. by turning the ſtream into its proper channel, by placing your fear on its proper object; I will tell you of one worthy of your fear, who deſerveth to be feared, So Luke 12.4, 5. I will forewarn you whom ye ſhall fear, (I will offer you an object meet for your fear) Fear him, who after he hath killed, hath power to caſt into hell; yea, I ſay unto you, fear him. You are apt like Children to be frighted with Bug-bears, and to dread them that can onelyonly raze the Skin, and pinch the Fleſh, and at the moſt can but take from you a life that will fall of it ſelf within a few dayes: well I'le adviſe you whom to ſtand in awe of, fear him that can kill you and damn you, that can ſend your bodies to the grave, and your ſouls to unquenchable flames; yea, I ſay unto you, fear him.
2. This incomparable God, calls for incomparable humility, and lowlineſs of Spirit from us. The height of God muſt lay man low, and the matchleſs excellency of God make him baſe in his own eyes. When we behold our ſelves in the Glaſs of thoſe that have little or nothing that is good or praiſe-worthy, or that have leſs than our ſelves, then we ſpread out our plumes, and are puft up with pride, and judge our ſelves comely creatures; but if we would behold our ſelves in the glaſs of the Incomparable God, in whoſe ſight the Heavens are unclean, in whoſe preſence Angels vail their faces, to whom ten thouſand Suns are perfect darkneſs, and all the world leſs than nothing; how ſhould we pluck in our plumes, and abhor our ſelves for our pride. Man never comes to a right knowledge of himſelf, what a pitiful abominable wretch he is, till he comes to a right knowledge of God, what an excellent incomparable Majeſty he is. As when men ſtand high, and look downward on thoſe below them, that are meaner and viler than themſelves, their heads are giddy, and ſwim with conceitedneſs, they then are ſome body in their own opinions; but when they look upwards to the Great God, the Sun, the Soul, the ſubſtance of all worth and excellency, that Meagrum or high-mindedneſs is prevented. The beſt men upon a ſight of God, the incomparable God (though the more excellent he is, the more cauſe they have of joy, in having ſo rich a portion, yet) inſtead of loving, have loathed themſelves, and inſtead of admiring, have abhor'd themſelves. When Iſaiah ſaw the God of glory ſitting on his Throne, in his brightneſs and beauty, encircled with Millions of coeleſtial Courtiers, covering their faces, (as aſhamed of their drops in the preſence of the Ocean) and crying Holy, Holy, Holy, (as apprehending his purity beyond all their expreſſions, and his perfections exceeding all their apprehenſions) what thoughts had he of himſelf! O what a poor pitiful contemptible creature did he think himſelf? yea, what an uncomely, loathſome, abominable creature was he in his own eye? Woe to me, ſaith he, I am undone, I am a man of unclean lips, for mine eyes have ſeen the Lord of Hoſts, Iſa. 6.4, 5.
3. This incomparable God calls for incomparable love, the top, the cream of our affections. Good is the object of Love. Amor eſt complacentia boni, according to the Moraliſts; the greater therefore the good is, the greater love it requireth; and God being the greateſt good, muſt have the greateſt love. This is the great and firſt command, Math. 22.37. this is (as I may ſay) the only command, Deut. 10.12. this is all the commands in one, Rom. 13.10. Love is the Decalogue contracted; and the Decalogue is love opened, and explained. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy ſoul, with all thy ſtrength, with all thy mind, Math. 22.37. God being the greateſt perfection, muſt have the greateſt affection. The greateſt love (for God is Love, 1 Joh. 4.8.). calls for the greateſt love. He deſerves the greateſt extenſively, the heart, ſoul, mind, ſtrength; the greateſt intenſively, all the heart, all the ſoul, all the mind, all the ſtrength. Reader, thy love to him muſt be ſo great, that thy love to thy father, mother, wife, child, houſe, land, and life, muſt be hatred in compariſon of it, and in competition with it, Luk. 14.26. The truth is, there is nothing worthy of our love like God; nay, there is nothing worthy of our love beſide God. All our Friends, and Relations, and Eſtates, and worldly Bleſſings, are nothing lovely, but as they are his creatures, his comforts, inſtruments for his glory, and as they have relation to him: Nay, Sabbaths, Sacraments, ſeaſons of grace, are no more lovely than as they are his inſtitutes, and means of communion with his Majeſty. I love the habitation of thy houſe (why? becauſe) it is the place where thine honour dwelleth, Pſal. 28.8. Once more; grace it ſelf is not lovely, but as it's the image and conformity unto, the pleaſure and delight of, that which fitteth and maketh meet for the love, embraces, and fruition of this incomparable God. Deſire and Delight are the two acts of love, diſtinguiſhed only by the abſence or preſence of the object. When the object beloved is abſent, the ſoul acts towards it in deſire: When the object is preſent, the ſoul acteth towards it in delight. The former is the motion, the latter the reſt and repoſe of the ſoul. Now the Incomparable God muſt have incomparable deſires, panting, Pſal. 42.2. longing, yea fainting, out of vehemency of deſire, Pſal. 119.20, 40, 80. God muſt be deſired above all, Pſal. 73.25. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I deſire beſide thee. The Incomparable God muſt have incomparable delight. I will go to the Altar of God my joy, of God my exceeding joy, Pſal. 43.4. The ſoul muſt be raviſhed, extaſied in the preſence and enjoyment of God, Cantic. 2.4.
4. The Incomparable God muſt have incomparable truſt. The more able and faithful any perſon is, the more firmly we truſt him. Now God is incomparable in power, he hath an Almighty arm; incomparable in faithfulneſs, he cannot lie, Tit. 1.2. It's impoſſible for him to lie, Heb. 6.18. Therefore God muſt have our ſureſt love, and firmeſt faith, Heb. 6.18. Rom. 4.20. We muſt eſteem his words as good as deeds; and rely on all he promiſeth, as if it were already performed. We muſt not ſtagger or waver, but draw nigh to him with full aſſurance of faith, Heb. 10.22. His bonds muſt be lookt upon (for they are as good) as ready money; and we muſt rejoyce in hope of the good things promiſed, as if we had them in hand, Rom. 5.2, 3.
5. This incomparable God muſt have incomparable obedience in the whole courſe of our lives. The more vertuous, or gracious, or honourable, or excellent, the perſon is with whom we walk, the more we weigh our words, and ponder the paths of our feet, and watch over our ſelves. God is incomparable in purity, in jealouſie, in Majeſty, in excellency; therefore they who are ever under his eye, and in his preſence, and who walk with him, muſt walk (not as they do when with ordinary perſons, careleſly and negligently, but) circumſpectly, accurately, exactly, to an hairs breadth, as on a ridge, foreign, Eph. 5.15. His law muſt be kept (to a tittle, in every punctilio) as the apple of the eye, Prov. 7.2. which is offended with the leaſt mote of duſt. And this obedience muſt be not only at ſome ſeaſons, and in ſome actions, but always, and in all things. As he who hath called you is holy, ſo be ye holy in all manner of converſation, 1 Pet. 1.15.
All our ſervice to this incomparable God muſt be incomparable. Little ſervice is unſuitable to a great God, 1 Chron. 29.1, 2. David the King ſaid unto all the Congregation, Solomon my Son, whom alone God hath choſen, is yet young and tender, and the work (i. e. of building the temple) is great; for the Palace is not for man, but for the Lord God. Now I have prepared with all my might for the houſe of my God, &c.
Fifthly, If God be an incomparable God, it informeth us of his infinite grace and condeſcention, to take ſo much notice of, and do ſo much for man. The height of the Perſon that beſtoweth a favour, and the meanneſs and unworthineſs of the object on whom it is beſtowed, doth exceedingly advance and heighten the grace and goodneſs of him that doth it. O what grace is it then for the moſt high, the God of heaven, the God whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, to manifeſt ſuch reſpect to vile ſinful duſt and aſhes, yea, to them that are rebels and Traytors againſt his Majeſty, and thereby worthy of Hell. David admireth it, and is amazed at it, Pſal. 8.1. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! and thy glory is above the heavens. What followeth? What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the ſon of man that thou viſiteſt him? That God, the excellent God, the God famous in all the earth, the God glorious above the heavens, ſhould mind man, poor ſilly ſimple man, weak frail dying man, ſinful filthy polluted man, loſt wretched miſerable man, could not but affect the heart of David with admiration and aſtoniſhment. What is man that thou art mindful of him? He is altogether below thy thoughts, and unworthy to be a moment in thy mind: Or the Son of man that thou viſiteſt him? he doth not deſerve to be viſited by the beaſts of the earth, much leſs to be viſited by the Angels of Heaven, and leaſt of all by the God of heaven; He may well ſay as the Centurion, Lord I am unworthy that thou ſhouldſt come under my roof, neither thought I my ſelf worthy to come unto thee, Mat. 8.8. David wonders that God ſhould mind man ſo much as to make the heavens, and thoſe glorious Lamps there, for his uſe and comfort: When I conſider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the ſtars which thou haſt made; what is man that thou art mindful of him? But how much more cauſe had he to wonder, that the heaven of heavens, the God of heaven, the Sun of righteouſneſs, the light of lights, ſhould do ſo much, and be ſo much himſelf for the good and comfort of man?
God doth manifeſt much grace and condeſcention in taking ſuch care of mens bodies and outward concerns. You would think it a great grace and condeſcention in a King, to take care night and day of a poor beggar, to ſee to it himſelf (and not to leave it to ſervants or any others) that he have food, and raiment, and liberty, and peace, and ſafety every day, that his bed be made well and eaſie for him every night, that when he is ſick he have phyſick, & cordials, and tendance, and ſhould conſtantly viſit him himſelf in perſon, that in all his wants he be ſupplyed, in all his weakneſſes ſupported, in all his dangers defended, and in all his diſtreſſes delivered; If this King ſhould never ſtir from this beggar, but do all this in his own perſon; if he himſelf ſhould ſpread his table, and provide his food, and be at the ſole charge of his garments, and put them on, and make his bed, and ſtand by him all night while he ſlept, to prevent any evil that might befall him, and go up and down with him all day to protect him, and counſel him, and relieve him, as occaſion required, you would be amazed at the favour and kindneſs and condeſcention of this Prince. Believe it Reader (ſurely ſeeing is believing) the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he whoſe name is I am, he to whom all the Kings and Princes and Potentates of the world, are droſs and dirt and dung, the Incomparable God doth more than all this, very much more for thee every day and every night, and that in his own perſon: He ſendeth thee all thy bread, and drink, and cloaths, and makes them refreſhing to thee; he provides thy habitation, and lodging, and commandeth ſleep for thee; He is with thee continually in all thy out-goings, incomings, to preſerve thee alive, to enable thee to thy motions, to ſucceed thy lawful undertakings, to relieve thee in thy neceſſities, and to defend thee from all thine Adverſaries. And is not this condeſcention worthy of all admiration? O what grace is it, that the incomparable God, who hath millions of glorious Angels waiting on him, and ten thouſand times ten thouſand, always miniſtring to him ſhould thus wait on, and watch over poor crawling worms, night and day for good, Act. 7.2. Job. 7.20. Pſal. 4. ult. Hoſea 2.8. Gen. 32.9, 10, 11. Pſal. 34.3, 4, 5. Heb. 1.3. Pſal. 145.5, 7. Job wonders that God ſhould condeſcend to correct man for his faults. What is man that thou doſt magnifie him, that thou ſetteſt thine heart upon him, that thou viſiteſt him every morning? &c. Job. 7.17, 18. How much then doth God condeſcend to be his conſtant guide and guard, to keep him night and day leaſt any hurt him? O the grace of this God! This incomparable God doth much more magnifie his grace and condeſcention in the care he is pleas'd to take of mens precious ſouls: Herein he ſheweth the riches of his mercy, the exceeding abundant riches of his grace, Eph. 2.5. and 7. Reader, is it not condeſcending grace in the higheſt degree, nay beyond all degrees, for this ſelf-ſufficient, abſolutely perfect, incomparable God, when the ſoul of man lay naked, ſtarving, reſtleſs, encompaſs'd with enemies, unpittied of all creatures, weltring in its blood, gaſping for breath, ready every moment to fetch its laſt, and to be ſiezed on by Divels drag'd to their Dungeon of darkneſs, there to fry in untollerable flames for ever; for him to look on man in this loathſom condition with an eye of favour and love, to cloath it with the righteouſneſs of a God, to feed it with that fleſh which is meat indeed, and with that blood which is drink indeed, to give it reſt in his own bowels and boſome, to bind up its wounds, and raiſe it from the dead, and make it free from the ſlavery of Satan, and his bondage to ſin, and death, and hell, and to adopt it for his own child, accept it as perfectly righteous, marry it to his onelyonly begotten, the heir of all things, dwell in it by his own bleſſed Spirit, and carry it on eagles wings, and conduct it ſafe through the wilderneſs of the world, and in ſpight of all the Lyons and wolves and ſerpents and adders and Giants and Anachims and Canaanites that oppoſed it, to bring it to an heavenly Canaan, to fulneſs of joy, and rivers of pleaſures, and crowns of life, and weights of glory, there to reign in and with his own incomparable Majeſty for ages, generations, millions of ages, yea unto all eternity? Friend, friend, what is condeſcending grace, if this be not? Alas the incomparable God had no obligation to man, he ſtood in no way need of man, he is uncapable of the leaſt good by man; he would have been as happy as he is at preſent, if the Race of mankind had been ruin'd and had periſhed: Beſides, he was infinitely disobliged by man, and had all the reaſon in the world to deſtroy him; and yet he is pleaſed to be as ſtudious of mans welfare, and as ſolicitous about it, as if it had been his own. Abigail wondred that David anoynted to a Kingdom ſhould take her to be his wife, ſhe ſcarce judged her ſelf worthy to waſh the feet of his ſervants, 1 Sam. 25.41. Mayſt not thou wonder more that the incomparable God ſhould marry thee to himſelf, who art unworthy to be his ſervant? David admired that God ſhould do ſo much for him: haſt thou not cauſe to ſay as he did, Lord, what am I, and what is my Fathers houſe, that thou haſt brought me up hitherto, pardoned, inſtructed, renewed me, taken me into thy own Family! and yet, as if this were a ſmall thing in thy ſight, thou ſpeakeſt of thy ſervants houſe for a great while to come, thou art pleaſed to ſpeak of thy ſervant for an everlaſting kingdom of honour and pleaſure, 2 Sam. 7.18. And this condeſcending grace, or gracious condeſcention, is much the more admirable, if we conſider the means by which this great work of mans recovery was effected. The incomparable God that is ſo great, ſo high, without all bounds, beyond all underſtanding, becomes a weak weary hungry contemptible man. Reader, here is amazing condeſcenſion: The Lord of all becomes a ſervant, the Lord of glory becomes of no reputation, the bread of Life is hungry, and the only reſt is weary, and the Prince of life is put to death. This is that which Angels pry into with ſuch aſtoniſhing pleaſure, that God ſhould become man, the Lawgiver be made under the Law, he that tempteth no man to evil, neither can be tempted to evil, ſhould be violently tempted many days together by all the powers of darkneſs, the only bleſſing ſhould be made a curſe, that Liberty ſhould be in bonds, and truth itſelf belied, and juſtice condemned, and heaven be layd in the belly of the earth. This is marvelous grace indeed, ſuch as paſseth all knowledge, Eph. 3.18, 19. If all the glorious Cherubims and Seraphims, Angels and Arch-angels, had condeſcended to have been turned into Toads and Serpents, it had not been by the thouſandth part ſo great a condeſcention, as for the incomparable God to become man: for, thoſe Heavenly Spirits, and Toads and Serpents, do convenire in aliquo tertio, meet in the Genus of Creatures; there is but a finite difference between the former and the latter. But God and Man meet in no Third, in no Genus, between them there is an infinite diſtance. There never was, there never ſhall be, there never can be the like condeſcenſion.