An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

That's Elihu's meaning when he saith, God is great, and we know him not; that is, we know not how great he is, or we know not the utmost of his greatness. God only knoweth himself fully and comprehensively. There is no proportion between the greatness of God and the understanding of a man. The greatness of God is infinite, the understanding of a man is but finite and limited; the deepest understanding among men, yea, the understanding of Angels is but shallow, compared with God. Thus we are to understand this text, God is great, and we know him not. There is a greatness in every thing of God, transcending the possibility of any created understanding. This some give for the reason, why the Seraphims spoken of (Isa. 6.) are said with two of their wings to cover their faces, they were not able to bear the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. For, though Christ, in that admonition which he gave, to take heed of offending and despising the little ones, gives this reason for it. (Mat. 18.10.) For in heaven there Angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven; though (I say) it be a truth, that the holy Angels, and blessed Saints above, do always behold the face of God, yet neither Saints nor Angels, not the Saints in glory, nor the glorious Angels, can fully comprehend the greatness and majesty of God; and therefore the Prophet (as was said) represented the Angels covering their faces with their wings. We have heard of King Hiero putting the question to Simonides, a Philosopher, What God was, who desi•ed (not being able to give a sudden answer) that the King would respite him till next day; when next day came he desired a second, and when that came he desired a third; and still the more he searched, ⟨p. 375⟩the farther he was from finding his answer. This is true, not only of Philosophers, who see but by the dark light of Nature, but of those who are enlightened divinely, or from above, they who receive much light from God, cannot comprehend the light of God; the more they search into it, the more they see themselves short of it. The most we know of God is not so much as the least part of that which we know not of him; and when we know as much of God as is knowable by man, yet it may be said, as in the text, God is great, and we know him not.