other creatures obtain their ultimate desires; they are filled with good: therefore, if there were nothing able to satisfy the vast desires of the soul, man would be in a worse condition than other creatures. Seeing the soul cannot rest but in that which is infinite, there must be something infinite for it to rest in.

GOD'S INCOMPREHENSIBILITY.

We cannot have a full and comprehensive knowledge of God in this life, because of our incapacity. Though the ocean hath water enough to fill the largest vessel, yet it can communicate no more to it than the vessel is capable to contain: so here, there is enough in God to fill the largest understanding, but our capacity is very shallow. You may exceed all other subjects in your expressions and apprehensions of them; but here is a subject wherein there can be no excess: yea, there is no access to it; for he dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto." The mind is much more comprehensive than words; yet our minds are too narrow to conceive him. Even the heart of a Solomon, though enlarged as the sand on the sea-shore, was not large enough for the great God. "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." God is sometimes said to " dwell in light," to show the greatness of his majesty; and sometimes be is said to " dwell in darkness," to show our weakness and incapacity to apprehend him as he is in himself. "He made darkness his secret place," says the psalmist; "his pavilion round about him was dark waters." The eye of the soul can no

more look upon the dazzling brightness of God, than a man can look stedfastly on the sun shining in his strength. The abundance of that inaccessible light, bearing no proportion to our understanding, doth so dazzle the eye of the soul, that it becomes as darkness to it. When the eye of the soul is fixed in the contemplation of that shining and glorious Majesty, his inaccessible light is, by reason of our weakness, that glorious and resplendent darkness that blinds us so that we cannot look on him. In this sense, "clouds and darkness are round about him." Though he be not far from us, yet he is far above us, and far beyond us; far above our thoughts, and beyond our conceptions.

Let me show you whence it is that our capacity, to conceive of God, is so shallow in this imperfect state. Take these reasons or causes of it. 1. There is a cloud of sin upon the eye of the soul; a thick mist upon the understanding. Believers themselves are not perfectly cured of their natural blindness. There are still thick scales upon our eyes, and too much of the vail upon our hearts: so that it is with believers as with a man that hath sore eyes; he cannot see so clearly as another whose eyes are whole and sound. 2. The soul is clogged with fleshly clay. The motions of the body, by reason of its weakness and infirmities, do greatly obstruct the operations of the soul: so that it is with the soul as with a man that is shut up in a dark room; the light shines in only through some holes and rifts; but though the sun shine never so brightly, yet he cannot see the glory of it so, while we are shut up in this dungeon of flesh, we cannot see the glory of God. When the soul tries the wing, and flutters toward heaven, it is presently pulled down again by this earthly clay that we carry about with us. 3. Corrupt and turbulent affections do ofttimes confound the eye of the soul. As Hagar could not see the well that was before her,

by reason of her passion and grief, till God opened her eyes so we are ofttimes blinded with passions, love and fear, desire and anger, or some cloud interposing from the passions, so that we cannot see God and the things of God so clearly. 4. In this imperfect state, our apprehensions of things take their rise from sense and sensible things. Our poor narrow minds are, as it were, immersed and drowned in bodies of clay; so that we cannot think of things without some corporeal representations. Hence it is that we are not able to conceive of God as he is: for although we labour to refine and spiritualize our thoughts of God, and aim at more raised and abstracted conceptions of his majesty, by separating that which is bodily from that which is spiritual; yet even when we frame the highest notions of God, there is still some similitude of some corporeal thing in our fancy, and some dregs of matter sticking to our conceptions of him; so that we cannot frame any suitable pure notion of his abstracted nature.

The most enlarged capacity of the glorified saints, shall not be large enough to comprehend all his glory. Therefore that manifestation of the glory of God in heaven, must be proportioned to the capacity of the creature, else it would confound and not satisfy. God must infinitely condescend, even in heaven itself, and accommodate the appearances of his glory to the apprehensions of poor finite creatures. The saints in heaven shall know God perfectly, so far as creatures are capable to know him: yet they shall not know him to perfection. They shall then see and know so much of God as will make them perfectly happy: but to know him to perfection is more than comes to the share of the happiness of any

creature.

Is it so that God is unsearchable and incomprehensible? Then there is an unseen evil in sin: more evil than any man ever knew or saw. Certainly the

evil of sin must be infinite, incomprehensible, and inconceivable, in regard of the object against whom it is committed. An injury, which being done to an ordinary man, is but a breach of good behaviour, may be high treason, if done against a king or prince. The dignity and excellence of the object doth exceedingly aggravate the offence. O then, of what a horrid nature must sin be, seeing it is an offence and injury done, not to earthly kings and princes, not to glorious angels, but to an incomprehensible Majesty who "cannot be found out unto perfection?" The venom and malignity of sin must needs be inconceivably great; because God, who is offended, wronged, and dishonoured by it, is inconceivably excellent, infinitely above all that we can speak or think. And upon this ground, I can aver, that there is more evil in the least sin, than can be conceived or comprehended by all angels and men. In heaven, when the saints shall "see God face to face, and know him as they are known of him," then they shall have more full and clear apprehensions of the evil of sin, than they can have now, which will greatly heighten their joy and thankfulness, and admiration of divine grace; yet even then shall they not be able to comprehend the great evil that is in sin; because their most enlarged capacity will not be large enough, to comprehend the matchless excellency and glorious perfections of God, who was offended and dishonoured by it. O then, never entertain slight thoughts of sin any more.

Though God be incomprehensible, yet we should not give over the study of the knowledge of him. Though we cannot comprehend him, nor find him out unto perfection; yet this will not excuse men's sloth and negligence, as if it were in vain to study to know him. We must not sit down where we are, because we cannot go so far as we would. As we should labour to "know the love of Christ," though

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it be so vast and boundless that it "passeth knowledge:" so should we labour to know God, though he pass all created understandings. We should study to know the greatness of his power, love, mercy, &c. though his greatness in all these be such as our narrow hearts cannot comprehend. We should aim at and endeavour after perfection in the knowledge of God, as well as in grace, though we cannot attain to either.

For clearing this, consider that there is some knowledge of God attainable in this life, though not a perfect nor comprehensive knowledge. Though he cannot be known as he is in himself, yet he may be known so far as is needful for our salvation and comfort. You may know him, so far as concerns your duty to him, and your happiness in him. You may know him, so far, as out of love to him, and fear of him, to worship and serve him; and so far as to admire and adore his incomprehensible majesty, and to see that there is no happiness but in the enjoyment of him. This is all the knowledge of God that is promised in this life, and all we can attain unto. And even with respect to this knowledge, none know so much of God, but they may know more, and know him better, and to better purpose. And though we cannot know all of God, yet we are bound to study all that may be known.

Well then, let not the consideration of God's incomprehensibility discourage you in studying the knowledge of him. It must not quench your endeavours, but regulate them, and keep them in compass. You must not lie by, but press earnestly after the knowledge of God, as he hath revealed himself. And let all your inquiries after the knowledge of God bear a special relation to this end, that you may fear, reverence, and adore his glorious majesty, and that you may worship and serve him, and your hearts may go out after him as a