What doth the great Light of the World get by the Persians admiration and adoration of it. What is a Fountain the better, if Men drink of its water, and commend it; or the worse, if Men pass by, and despise it. What would God get, if he should make millions of Worlds to land and magnify him; or what would God loose, if there were no World, no Creature at all? Who hath given to him, and it shall be recompensed again? Rom. 11, 35. He hath given to all what-ever they are, or have; but none ever gave to him. They who give to him their Love, and Fear, and Trust, and Names, and Estates, give nothing to him. We can give nothing to him, to whom we owe all: Besides, ⟨p. 26⟩all we have, and are, and do, and suffer for him, addeth nothing to him. His declarative glory may, but his essential glory, or glorious essence admits not in the least of any increase or decrease. But no other Being is absolutely perfect; Men are exceeding imperfect, since their Falls: They are so far from being above all additions, that they stand in continual need of Additions. They need the Air to breath in, the Earth to bear them, Food to strengthen them, Raiment to cover them, Fire to warm them, Sleep to refresh them; They want Righteousness to justify them, the Holy Ghost to sanctify them, Love to comfort them, and Mercy to save them. Man is an heap of Infirmities, an Hospital of Diseases, and a bundle of Imperfections: He is so far from being absolutely perfect, that (in a moral consideration) since his Apostasy, he is not perfect in his kind. And though Angels are more perfect then Men, yet they are imperfect to God: Angels, 'tis true, are perfect in their kind, but not perfect in all kinds; something may be added to them, something may be taken from them. The highest Angel may be higher, and the holiest Angel ⟨p. 27⟩may be holier, and the best of them may be better. Though the Stars differ from each other in brightness and glory, yet none of them is a Sun: Though Angels differ from Men, and each from others in honour and excellency; yet none of them is a god, none of them is absolutely perfect.
What doth the great Light of the World get by the Persians admiration and adoration of it. What is a Fountain the better, if Men drink of its water, and commend it; or the worse, if Men pass by, and despise it. What would God get, if he should make millions of Worlds to land and magnifie him; or what would God loose, if there were no World, no Creature at all? Who hath given to him, and it shall be recompenced again? Rom. 11, 35. He hath given to all what-ever they are, or have; but none ever gave to him. They who give to him their Love, and Fear, and Trust, and Names, and Estates, give nothing to him. We can give nothing to him, to whom we owe all: Besides, ⟨p. 26⟩all we have, and are, and do, and suffer for him, addeth nothing to him. His declarative glory may, but his essential glory, or glorious essence admits not in the least of any increase or decrease. But no other Being is absolutely perfect; Men are exceeding imperfect, since their Falls: They are so far from being above all additions, that they stand in continual need of Additions. They need the Air to breath in, the Earth to bear them, Food to strengthen them, Rayment to cover them, Fire to warm them, Sleep to refresh them; They want Righteousness to justifie them, the Holy Ghost to sanctifie them, Love to comfort them, and Mercy to save them. Man is an heap of Infirmities, an Hospital of Diseases, and a bundle of Imperfections: He is so far from being absolutely perfect, that (in a moral consideration) since his Apostacy, he is not perfect in his kind. And though Angels are more perfect then Men, yet they are imperfect to God: Angels, 'tis true, are perfect in their kind, but not perfect in all kinds; something may be added to them, something may be taken from them. The highest Angel may be higher, and the holiest Angel ⟨p. 27⟩may be holier, and the best of them may be better. Though the Stars differ from each other in brightness and glory, yet none of them is a Sun: Though Angels differ from Men, and each from others in honour and excellency; yet none of them is a god, none of them is absolutely perfect.
