Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

3. How bold and foolish is it for a mortal Creature, to censure the Counsels and Actions of an eternal God, or be too curious in his inquisitions? 'Tis by the consideration of the unsearchable number of the years of God that Elihu checks too bold enquiries: Who hath enjoined him his way, ^*or who can say, thou hast wrought iniquity? Behold, God is great and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out. Eternity ⟨p. 193⟩sets God above our Enquiries and Censures. Infants of a day old are not able to understand the acts of wise and grey Heads: Shall we, that are of so short a being and understanding as yesterday, presume to measure the motions of Eternity by our scanty Intellects? We that cannot foresee an unexpected accident which falls in to blast a well laid design, and run a Ship many Leagues back from the intended Harbour; We cannot understand the reason of things we see done in time, the motions of the Sea, the generation of Rain, the nature of Light, the Sympathies and Antipathies of the Creatures; and shall we dare to censure the actions of an eternal God so infinitely beyond our reach? The Counsels of a boundless Being are not to be scanned by the Brain of a silly Worm, that hath breathed but a few minutes in the world: Since Eternity cannot be comprehended in time, 'tis not to be judged by a Creature of time, Let us remember to magnify his works which we behold, because he is eternal, which is the exhortation of Elihu, backed by this Doctrine of Gods Eternity; ^*and not accuse any work of him who is the Ancient of days, or presume to direct him, of whose Eternity we come infinitely short: When ever therefore any unworthy notion of the Counsels and Works of God is suggested to us by Satan, or our own corrupt hearts; let us look backward to Gods eternal and our own short duration, and silence our selves with the same Question wherewith God put a stop to the reasoning of Job; ^*Where wast thou, when I laid the foundations of the Earth? and reprove our selves for our curiosity; since we are of so short a standing, and were nothing when the eternal God laid the first Stone of the World.