you fee according to the glory of God in any particular there is a reflection of it upon the Saints of God, and this is the wonderfull excellency of Gods Saints to have the reflection of God upon them, happy are they that have God to be their God; if God be excellent, fo are they: if God be above all, and there is none like to him, fo are they above all, and there is none like to them. You have the fame inference of the Holy Ghost, 2 Samuel 7.22,23. W berefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is mone like thee, neither is there any God befides thee; according to all that we have heard with our eares. Marke what followes, and what one notion in the earth is like thy people, even like Ifrael? &c. So that there is none like the people of God; and it must needes follow from hence, for they are as their God is; therefore sayes Mofes (when he fpeaks of the people of God) Exod. 33. 16. So Shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the earth,fo you read it in your Bibles; but the word in the originall fignifies wonderfully feparated; Gods people are wonderfully feparated from the world; as God is wonderfully high above all creatures fo are his people, therefore in Numb. 27.9. it is faid that Gods people shall dwell alone, and fhall not be reckoned among the Nations: why because they are the people of God, and the people of that God that hath none like to him, and therefore there is none like to them; that is for the confolation of the Saints of God.

Thirdly, it followes from hence, that therefore it should be our care that none fhould doe for their gods fo as we doe for ours: for if there be none like to our God, then it is a fhame, that any that chufe other gods fhould doe that for them that is above that which we doe for our God. As now for Idolators, to inftance in outward and spirituall Idolatry: why, there is : none like to out God, certainly all the Idolaters in the world have not fuch a God as we have, their rocke is not as our rocke, our enemies themselves being judges. What a fhame then were it, if we should not doe more for our God then they doe for theirs? yea, we should labour to doe that for our God that may come up to that height of excellency which we apprehend to be in him. Will you fee what Idolaters doe for their Gods: Firft,obferve the carnestness of the spirits of Idolaters after their C

gods,

gods, their hearts are enflamed after their Idols fo we have it Ifaiab 57.5. enflaming your felves with Idols under every green Tree their hearts were enflamed after their Idol gods, which are not like our God: Ohow then should our hearts be enflamed after our God! fhould we content our felves with, and reft fatisfied in cold and in dead fervices to our God! how much ftrength fhould that exhortation of the Apostle have upon us Rom, 12.11. Be fervent in spirit, ferving the Lord? It is the Lord we serve, it is our God, the great and glorious God, and therefore we should be fervent in fpirit, ferving him,

Secondly, the Scripture fayes that Idolaters, thofe that wor fhip falle gods, are mad upon their Idols Jer. 50.38. The people of God then fhould have their hearts run after God, fo that thofe that are carnall and not able to judge, should look upon them even as mad men, and indeed they doe fo: whensoever the hearts of the Saints are after God fully, they are lookt upon as mad men; St. Paul was counted a mad man by Feftus ; Acts 26. 24. and we should not be afraid of the reproaches of the world in this kindes though they despise us and thinke us base and vile, and out of our wits: Why Idolaters are mad upon their Idols, therefore if there be any thing God calls for at our hands, though the world account it madneffe, yet our hearts muft worke after God init: and it is a fhame that any mens hearts fhould be more after their gods, then our hearts are after ours s because there is none like unto our God.!!

Thirdly, the earnestnesse of the hearts of Idolaters after their Idoll gods appeares from Jer.8,1,2. At that time faith the Lord, they fall bring out the bones of the Kings of Judah. &c. And they fall spread them before the Sun, and the Moon, and all the boft of Heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have ferved, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have fought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, &c. I have often thought of this Scripture, it is exceeding remarka ble: I know no one Scripture in all the book of God, that hath fo many expreffions together, to fhew the firength of the hearts of Gods people after God, as here we have to fhew the ftrength of Idolaters after their Idols: And they shall spread them before the Sun, and the Moon, and all the host of Heaven. Marke, 1. Whom they

bave loved. 2. Whom they have ferved. 3. After whom they bave walked. 4. Whom they have fought. 5. Whom they have worshipped; and all in fo few words. Thus their hearts were after their Idoll gods: how much more then ought it to be faid of us concerning our God, whom we have loved, and whom we have ferved, and after whom we have walked, and whom we have fought, and whom we have worshipped?\

Againe, obferve how the Scripture fets out the fpirits of men after their Idoll gods, in regard of the coft they are willing to beftow upon them. Ifa. 46.6. They hall lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh filver in the ballance, and hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god. They care not what coft they are at to worship their Idols. O what a fhame would it be if we fhould not be willing to part with much of our eftates for the true worship of the true God: and though we should lofe our eftates, yet if we can ferve God better, and in a purer way, we should be content; for Idolaters will lavish gold out of the bag upon their Idols. Now there is none like to our God; therefore it is a fhame that they should doc more for their gods then we doe for ours. And then what are Idolaters willing to fuffer for their gods? 1 Kings 18.28. how did Baals Priefts there cut themfelves after their manner, with Knives and Lancers, till the blood gufhed out, to fhew their refpect to their Idols! let us then be willing to fuffer any thing that God calls us to. And how con ftant were they to their Idols! therefore fayes God, Jer. 2.10,11. Confider diligently and fee, if there be such a thing: bath a Nation changed their gods which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profits how ill doth God take this that Idolaters should not change their gods that are infinitely below him, and yet that his people fhould change their God who is infinitely above them?

upon

Againe let us take heed left there be any found that fhould have their hearts fet more upon their lufts, then we are God: take all the excellencies in the world, and they are infinitely below God; how much more then is a luft? for what is a luft in comparison of all creatures in heaven and earth? and yer how are mens hearts fet upon their lufts? yea, how hath thy own heart been fet upon wicked luft heretofore? thinke then

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with thy felfe what an infinite unreasonable thing is it that the heart of any man in the world, or thy own heart, fhould be fet more upon a bafe luft then upon the living, eternall, and infinite God. 'Tis faid of Abab, that he fold himselfe to worke wickedneffe, 1 Kings 21.20. be thou willing then to fell thy felf to God, to give up thy felf to God; the hearts of the sonnes of men, (it is faid) are fet, and fully fet to doe evill, Ecclef.8.11. doe not thou content thy felfe with fome faint wifhes and defires after God, but let thy heart be fet and fully fet for God. In Micab 7. 3. it is faid they doe evill with both hands earnestly; marke, they doe evill, and they doe evill earnestly, and they doe evill ear neftly with both hands. Now then, for fhame be not thon fluggifh in doing fervice for thy God; doe that which is good, and doe it with both thy hands, and doe it earneftly with all thy heart.

Againe, we have one notable Scripture more that fhewes how the hearts of men are fet upon that which is evill, Prov.19.28. The mouth of the wicked devouretb iniquity; 'tis an elegant expreffi on of the Holy Ghoft; its a metaphor taken from the practice of brute creatures; as now take a beaft that hath been kept from drink a long time, and is exceeding thirty, if you bring it to the water, it will thruft its head into the water, as if it would devour the whole River, and could never be fatisfied: that is the meaning of this phrafe, the mouth of the wicked devoureth ini quity, that is, when he comes to his finne,he is as greedy upon it, as the beast that hath been kept long from water is greedy of water. O how Thould our hearts be infinitely more greedy after God, and his fervice, then wicked men are or can be after the fervice of their lufts! to conclude all this, with that you have Exodus 30. from verfe 34. to the end; there was a perfume there to be made by the compofition of the Apothecary; but there was this charge given, as for the perfume which thou shalt make, you shall not make to your felves, according to the compofition thereof, it fhall be unto thee boly for the Lord, &c. So I conclude this point, there is none like to God, he being above all: when your hearts therefore are in any good frame towards God, perfumed and lifted up towards Cod, take heed they be not lifted up towards any creature in the fame manner as they are towards God: for

your

your fervice to God must be futable to the nature of God; now there is none like to God, therefore there fhould be no fuch fervice tendred to any, as is tendred to God: thus much for the first thing, whereby the name of God is advanced here; who is like unto thee O Lord among the gods!

We come now to the fecond, glorious in bolineffe; The word tranflated here glorious, doth as well fignifie magnificent,noble, and so it is used in many places: thou art magnificent and noble in thy bolinesse. Brethren, it is the greatest magnificence, the greateft nobility, and height of spirit, that can be, to be holy : God himselfe is a magnificent God, and he is ennobled by his holineffe: this fets out the excellency of holineffe.

Againe, glorious m bolineffe, it is rendred by fome glorious in holy things: that is, glorious in thy holy Angels, glorious in thy holy Saints, glorious in thy holy word, glorious in thy holy Ordinances, glorious in thy holy worship; God indeed is very glorious in his Angels, and in his Saints, and in his word, and in his worship, and in his Ordinances; but we will take the words as you have them here, glorious in bolineffe.

And for the explication of the glory of God in this Title, there are these three things to be done: Firft, to fhew you a little what holineffe in God is. Secondly, I fhall open unto you, how God is faid to be glorious in holineffe. And then Thirdly, I fhall fhew you why God hath this Title given him here in this place; why he is rather faid here to be glorious in holineffe, then glorious in power: for it was an act of power rather, that God did put forth in the deftruction of the Egyptians, and deliverance of his people.

For the fift: what is holineffe in God; we understand this (as generally we doe almost all things of God rather by way of negation then otherwife; rather by what it is not, then by what it is, therefore we ufe to say that Gods holineffe is that whereby his nature is free from all kinde of mixture, and fron the leaft foil and filth of finne; therefore God is called light,becaufe light is fo pure a creature and fo free from any mixture of pollution, that it can be amongst filthy things without any defilement of it felfe: fo God can worke with finne it felfe, and yet without any defilement of his nature; but besides this nc

gation,