2. ^Ye must conceive of God according to his praises in tlie word. Hereafter we shall see him as he is, which is our happiness in heaven ; now we can only see him as he is pleased to reveal himself to us. This Avay is most easy and of greatest profit and safety ; for though these representations are imperfect notions and conceptions, that are not every way propoi'tiouable to the nature and intiniteness of God, yet they are enough to beget reverence. Therefore it is observable, when Moses desired to see God's glory, the Lord pardoned what was of curiosity in the request, and answered him in what was necessary ; and what doth God do ? He only proclaims his name : Exod. xxxiv. 6, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,' &c. These are the conceptions we must have of God. And so, when we would form a proper notion of God in our addresses to him : 1 Tim. i. 17, ' Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.' Thus must we conceive of God as a spirit- ual essence, as the great governor of the world — most wise, most holy, infinitely and eternally good ; I might heap up for this many places of scripture. These are names which are given to those things, which we would most magnify and commend ; and so, when they are conceived in a spiritual mind, they are most fit to stir up worship and religious affection to God ; whereas we draw a snare upon ourselves when we would go higher and see his essence. Face to face is the dispensation of another world, when we shall have other eyes and other hearts ; now all we can do, and as much as we can aspire to, is to look upon his back parts, and to consider those praises which the scripture puts upon him. (Ecolampadius, when he was preaching a sermon to young men, said, If you would know what God is. you must first know what goodness is, what justice, mercy, bounty, loving-kindness, and truth is ; then you shall know God, for God is mercy, goodness, loving-kindness, and truth itself. And you must know that these attributes are in God in an infinite manner, of which finite creatures are no competent judges; and then look upon all these perfections as shining forth, and discov- ering themselves in the human nature of Christ. He that cannot look upon the sunbeams in its strength at noon-day, may take view of it in the water, or when the moon is at full : so we that cannot behold the glory of the divine majesty as he is in himself, may safely behold his perfections as they shone forth in the man Christ Jesus. This is the way of knowing God, by fixing our minds upon him as the first cause, the creator and governor of all things.
Thirdhj, There must be such a representation of God as may make the spirit aweful, but not servile ; we must have such thoughts of God as may increase our reverence, not weaken our delight ; the spirit begets aweful, but yet ingenuous thoughts of God. This is a rule, that our affections in our services must be suited to the nature of God. Now, in all the scriptual descriptions of God, there is a mixture and com-
148 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XL [SeR. XXXII.
position of God's attributes, to show that there should be a like mixture in our affections. As in God, there is a mixture of justice and mercy, and of power and love ; so in us, there should be a mixture of hope and fear, of joy, delight, and reverence, that the excesses of one affection may be corrected by the mixture and exercise of another. That there is such a mixture in God's atti-ibutes is clear : Deut. vii. 7-10, ' The Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, kee})ing covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments, and repayeth them that hate him.' So Exod. xxxiv. 6, ' The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,' &c. ; but then it is added, ver. 7, ' He will by no means clear the guilty.' So Jer. ix. 24, ' I am the Lord, which exercise loving-kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth;' and Daniel ix. 4, ' 0 Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his command- ments ' — a dreadful God, and yet full of mercy and sweetness. The like mixture should there be in our affections, when we come to address ourselves to God : Ps. ii. 11, ' Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.' There must be joy, but mixed with a holy trembling : so 1 Peter i. 17, ' If ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning liere in fear.' There is a mixture in God's appellations and our affec- tions. In God's appellations he is a father and yet a judge ; and there must be the like mixture in our affections, and in the temper and disposition of our spirits, 'to call him father,' and yet 'serve him with fear ; ' there must be a child-like reverence and a child-like confidence. Now, because this is the exact temper of spirit that is fit for duty, I shall a little examine what considerations are most proper and likely to keep the spirit aweful, and what considerations are most likely to keep the spirit cheerful in a way of hope and filial confidence,