To praise God, is to Acknowledge in Him something Excellent, as 'tis said in Psal. 148.13. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His Name alone is Excellent; thus, when we Acknowledge an Excellency in all those Manifestations which God maketh of Himself; then 'tis that we praise Him. Now the Praises owing to the God of Heaven from us, are obliged not only by what He Is, but also by what He Does: indeed by what He Does it is that we come to Learn what He is. We ought to Acknowledge an Excellency in the Nature of God; which is to Ascribe Glory to Him. The Language of our praises is to be that in Psal. 89.6. Who can be compared, who can be Likened, unto the Lord? God should be truly Transcendent with us. We should apprehend, that as the Name of our God is, I AM, so all other Beings are as meer Non-Entities in comparison of Him; subscribing to that in Isa. 40.17. All are before Him as Nothing. We should apprehend the Being of God, so Independent, so Unchangeable, so Mysterious, as no other Being is; and with Dazzled Souls fall into such praises as to say, I cannot find out the Almighty to perfection. The perfections that are in the Almighty God should even Astonish our Understandings; and fetch the Exclamations of Moses from us, in Exod. 15.11. Who is like ⟨p. 8⟩unto thee, O Lord, who is like unto thee? One while our praises are like Hannahs, to say. There is none Holy as the Lord! Another while our praises are like Ethan's to say, Who is a Strong God like unto thee? Sometimes our Praises, like Pauls, are to say, God is only Wise; and sometimes again, God is True, but every man a Liar; and then with David, we are to praise and say, O how great is thy Goodness! But the Excellency which is in the Works of God, is that which renders the Glory of His Essence, most apparent unto us; and the praises which we are to bring unto Him, are in a great measure to spring from thence. We are told in Isa. 28.29. The Lord of Hosts is Excellent in Working. Our praises of God, are in This to find the Reasons of them, He has done Excellent Things.
To praise God, is to Acknowledge in Him something Excellent, as 'tis said in Psal. 148.13. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His Name alone is Excellent; thus, when we Acknowledge an Excellency in all those Manifestations which God maketh of Himself; then 'tis that we praise Him. Now the Praises owing to the God of Heaven from us, are obliged not only by what He Is, but also by what He Does: indeed by what He Does it is that we come to Learn what He is. We ought to Acknowledge an Excellency in the Nature of God; which is to Ascribe Glory to Him. The Language of our praises is to be that in Psal. 89.6. Who can be compared, who can be Likened, unto the Lord? God should be truly Transcendent with us. We should apprehend, that as the Name of our God is, I AM, so all other Beings are as meer Non-Entities in comparison of Him; subscribing to that in Isa. 40.17. All are before Him as Nothing. We should apprehend the Being of God, so Independent, so Unchangeable, so Mysterious, as no other Being is; and with Dazzled Souls fall into such praises as to say, I cannot find out the Almighty to perfection. The perfections that are in the Almighty God should even Astonish our Understandings; and fetch the Exclamations of Moses from us, in Exod. 15.11. Who is like ⟨p. 8⟩unto thee, O Lord, who is like unto thee? One while our praises are like Hannahs, to say. There is none Holy as the Lord! Another while our praises are like Ethans to say, Who is a Strong God like unto thee? Sometimes our Praises, like Pauls, are to say, God is only Wise; and sometimes again, God is True, but every man a Lyar; and then with David, we are to praise and say, O how great is thy Goodness! But the Excellency which is in the Works of God, is that which renders the Glory of His Essence, most apparent unto us; and the praises which we are to bring unto Him, are in a great measure to spring from thence. We are told in Isa. 28.29. The Lord of Hosts is Excellent in Working. Our praises of God, are in This to find the Reasons of them, He has done Excellent Things.
