2. From this Greatness and Immensity of God also thy soul must reverently stay all its busy, bold enquiries, and know that God is to us and to every creature Incomprehensible. If thou couldst fathom or measure him, and know his Greatness by a comprehensive knowledge, he were not God. A Creature can comprehend nothing but a Creature. You may know God, but not comprehend him; As your foot treadeth on the earth, but doth not cover all the earth. The Sea is not the Sea, if you can hold it in a spoon. Thou canst not comprehend the Sun which thou seest, and by which thou seest all things else, nor the sea, or earth, no nor a worm or pile of grass: Thy understanding knoweth not all that God hath put into any the least of these; Thou art a stranger to thy self, and to somewhat in every part of thy self, both body and soul. And thinkest thou to comprehend God, that perfectly comprehendest nothing? Stop then thy overbold enquiries, and remember that thou art a shallow finite worm, and God is Infinite. First, ⟨p. 23⟩reach to comprehend the Heaven and Earth and whole Creation, before thou think of Comprehending him, to whom the world is nothing, or vanity, or so small a dust, or drop, or point. [Job. 37. 1, 5. saith Elihu, At this my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place: Hear attentively the Noise of his Voice,—God thundereth marvellously with his Voice; great things doth he which we cannot comprehend] How then should we comprehend himself? When God pleadeth his cause with Job himself, what doth he but convince him of his Infiniteness and absoluteness, even from the greatness of his works, which are beyond our reach and yet are as nothing to himself! Should he take the busy enquirer in hand, but as he did begin with Job, 38. 1, 2. &c. [Who is this that darkeneth Counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me, &c.] alas, how soon would he non-plus and confound us? and make us say as Job. 40. 4. [Behold I am vile! what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth: Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea twice, but I will proceed no further.] Indeed there is mentioned Eph. 3. 11. The Saints comprehending the dimensions of the Love of Christ, but as the next verse saith, it passeth knowledge; so comprehending there signifieth no more, but a knowing according to our Measure;
2. From this Greatness and Immensity of God also thy soul must reverently stay all its busie, bold enquiries, and know that God is to us and to every creature Imcomprehensible. If thou couldst fathome or measure him, and know his Greatness by a comprehensive knowledge, he were not God. A Creature can comprehend nothing but a Creature. You may know God, but not comprehend him; As your foot treadeth on the earth, but doth not cover all the earth. The Sea is not the Sea, if you can hold it in a spoon. Thou canst not comprehend the Sun which thou seest, and by which thou seest all things else, nor the sea, or earth, no nor a worm or pile of grass: Thy understanding knoweth not all that God hath put into any the least of these; Thou art a stranger to thy self, and to somewhat in every part of thy self, both body and soul. And thinkest thou to comprehend God, that perfectly comprehendest nothing? Stop then thy overbold enquiries, and remember that thou art a shallow finite worm, and God is Infinite. First, ⟨p. 23⟩reach to comprehend the Heaven and Earth and whole Creation, before thou think of Comprehending him, to whom the world is nothing, or vanity, or so small a dust, or drop, or point. [Job. 37. 1, 5. saith Elihu, At this my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place: Hear attentively the Noise of his Voice,—God thundereth marvelously with his Voice; great things doth he which we cannot comprehend] How then should we comprehend himself? When God pleadeth his cause with Job himself, what doth he but convince him of his Infiniteness and absoluteness, even from the greatness of his works, which are beyond our reach and yet are as nothing to himself! Should he take the busie enquirer in hand, but as he did begin with Job, 38. 1, 2. &c. [Who is this that darkeneth Counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up thy loins like a man, for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me, &c.] alas, how soon would he non-plus and confound us? and make us say as Job. 40. 4. [Behold I am vile! what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth: Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea twice, but I will proceed no further.] Indeed there is mentioned Eph. 3. 11. The Saints comprehending the dimensions of the Love of Christ, but as the next verse saith, it passeth knowledge; so comprehending there signifieth no more, but a knowing according to our Measure;
