."--Psal. xc. 2.--"Before the
mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth
and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art
God."--Job xi. 7-9.--"Canst thou by searching find out God? canst
thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as
heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou
know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader
than the sea."

This is the chief point of saving knowledge, to know God; and this is the
first point or degree of the true knowledge of God, to discern how
ignorant we are of him, and to find him beyond all knowledge. The Lord
gives a definition of himself, but such an one as is no more clear than
himself to our capacities; a short one indeed, and you may think it says
not much--"I am." What is it that may not say so, "I am that I am?" The
least and most inconsiderable creature hath its own being. Man's wisdom
would have learned him to call himself by some high styles, as the manner
and custom of kings and princes is, and such as the flattery of men
attributes unto them. You would think the superlatives of wise, good,
strong, excellent, glorious, and such like, were more beseeming his
majesty; and yet there is more majesty in this simple style than in all
others; but a "natural man" cannot behold it, for it is "spiritually
discerned." "Let the potsherd," saith he, "strive with the potsherds of
the earth," [Isa. xlv. 9,] but let them not strive with their Maker. So I
say, let creatures compare with creatures; let them take superlative
styles, in regard of others. Let some of them be called good, and some
better, in the comparison among themselves; but God must not enter in the
comparison. Paul thinks it an odious comparison, to compare present
crosses to eternal glory: "I think them not worthy to be compared," saith
Paul, Rom. viii. 18. But how much more odious is it, to compare God with
creatures? Call him highest, call him most powerful, call him most
excellent, almighty, most glorious in respect of creatures, you do but
abase his majesty, to bring it down to any terms of comparison with them
which is beyond all the bounds of understanding. All these do but express
him to be in some degree eminently seated above the creatures, as some
creatures are above all others! so you do no more but make him the head of
all as some one creature is the head of one line or kind under it; but
what i