sometimes he calls it praise, and then glorifying; Ps. lxxxvi. 12, 'I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I will glorify thy name for evermore.' And sometimes singing. But he says it over, and over, and over, and over; Ps. xlvii. 6, 7, 8, Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing you praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen; God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.' He doubles it, and doubles it, to shew the vehemency of his soul; he could not sing loud enough, Sing, sing, sing, sing, four times in one verse. And sometimes, a new song;' Ps. xxxiii. 3, 'Sing unto him a new song.' I have praised him formerly, and sung to him, but all my old songs are not good enough.

Sometimes he expresses it by shouting for joy;' Ps. xxxii. 11, 'Be glad in the Lord, ye righteous and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.' Ps. xxxiii. 3, ' Play skilfully with a loud noise.' And extol him; Ps. xxx. 1, ' I will extol thee, O Lord.' And magnify him; Ps. xxxiv. 3, 'O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.' Sometimes, I will greatly praise the Lord;' and because praise is too low a word, says he, let us make his praise glorious;' Ps. lxvi. 2, Sing forth the honour of his name; make his praise glorious.' Let us give him no other than glorious praise.

As he useth this variety of expression, which shews he knew not what to do or say, so he doth not know what to speak of God whilst he praises him, what words to use; and therefore he carries it off in so great a superlative; Ps. lxxvii. 13, 'Who is so great a God as our God?' Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, O thou King of nations?' Rev. xv. 4. And he hath it out of Jer. x. 6, There is none like unto thee, O Lord: thou art great, and thy name is great in might.' Ver. 7, Who would not fear thee, O King of nations?' In Ps. cvi. 2, he puts all the creatures into a stand at it, Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can shew forth all his praise?' Alas! ver. 3, Blessed be they that keep judgment,' that can be holy. Who can shew forth all his praise? Praise him we cannot.

And sometimes he useth this language, 'Be exalted above the heavens; and let thy glory be above all the earth,' Ps. lvii. 11. And the God that rides on the heavens: Ps. lxviii. 4, 33, Sing unto God, sing praises to his name; extol him that rideth upon the heavens, by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.' To him which rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old.' Praise him under that notion. Insomuch as in deed and in truth we find these strains in the psalmist, that he knew not how to set him out with words enough; he leaves it to his own self, for himself to do it, for the creatures cannot do it. Ps. xxi. 13. Glorify thyself in thy own strength, in thine own excellency, for the creature cannot do it. Such a soul as David was, is enlarged to talk high of God; Ps.lxxxvi. 12, ‘I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify thy name for evermore.' Alas! poor creature, how canst thou praise him for evermore? A soul fired with desires to praise God, it burns after both more perfect things and more lasting than it is able to perform. To will is present with it,' &c. See but the reachings and roamings of such a soul, how it swells in desires to glorify God!

First, That soul in such a frame does extend itself to praise God in all times.

1. In all seasons, that is, when any occasion shall be given; Ps. xxxiv. 1, 'I will bless the Lord at all times,' that is (as I take it), at all seasons. 2. His heart goes further: 'His praise shall be continually in my mouth,'

he would be doing it continually; Ps. lxxxiv. 4, They will be still praising thee,' at all seasons of the day, morning, evening, and night; Ps. xcii. 2, To shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night;' Ps. cxlv. 1, 2, 'I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever: every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.' In other psalms, 'I will bless thee while I live,' Ps. lxiii. 4. Ps. civ. 33, 'I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.' But this is but for this life: but I will praise the Lord for ever and ever,' says David, Ps. civ. 2. 'I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever,' Ps. xlv. 17. Such a soul is so enlarged, as, if it were possible for him to do it, he would contract all the praises due to God in all ages into an instant, and give him all at once, such are the enlarged rooms and desires of his spirit. O that I could contract (thinks that soul) all the glory that is due to God, and that I can give to God to eternity, that I could give it him in one moment! Ps. cvi. 48, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting and let all the people,' in the world, say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.' Thus this poor soul doth reach, and the reason is, because he is so great a God for ever, and therefore he would praise him as for ever. Thus in Eph. iii. 21, where Paul gives glory to God, To him be glory in the church through Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." So Jude also, 'To him be glory now and ever. Amen,' verse 25.

3. This soul will rejoice that God hath been celebrated by others, in all ages; Ps. cii. 12, But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever, and thy remembrance unto all generations.' That he hath lived in their praises, Ps. xxii. 3, ‘0 thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.' More expressly, Ps. cxxxv. 13, 'Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.' This soul could sit down with angels, and take in all their praises, and rejoice that God hath been so celebrated and praised in all times.

4. This soul would extend itself, not only to all times, but to all persons, and things, and works of God, to praise him. Oft in the psalms he rejoices in God, and calls upon all nations to do it. Ps. xcvi. 1, 'Sing unto the Lord all the earth;' verse 7, 'Give glory to the Lord, O ye kindreds of the earth, give unto the Lord glory and strength;' verses 11, 12, 'Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, let the sea roar,' &c. Alas! I cannot do it, my heart is too narrow! Ps. lxxii. 18, 19, 'Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doth wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.' Nothing will content him else; if he could, he would fire all creatures to do it; 'Let the people praise thee, O God, let all the people praise thee.' So in Ps. c., Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; and come before his presence with singing.' Ps. cxviii. 1, O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever.' He is King everywhere; O that they would praise him in all his dominions! Ps. ciii. 22, Bless the Lord all his works, in all places of his dominion,' in every nook and corner of the world; verse 20, Bless the Lord, all ye his angels, that excel in strength, and do his commandments.' Begin you to bless God! What had he to do to call upon angels? It is as if he had said, Alas! poor creature, I have not strength; you angels that excel in strength, do you bless the Lord; it is better than to do his will, it is your greatest excel

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lency. And ver. 21, Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers that do his pleasure.' And at last, Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion and bless the Lord, O my soul!' and what a poor little thing am I to bless him, so he concludes. And again, Ps. cxiii. 1, 2, 3, 'Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun, unto the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised.' He is so full, that himself would (if he knew how) wish himself in the midst of a whole congregation of the upright; Ps. cxi. 1, Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.' Would I had a voice to reach the multitude of all nations! Ps. cviii. 3, 'I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.' Nay, before all the kings of the earth, and all angels, all gods; he wisheth such an auditory. Ps. cxxxviii. 1, Ifwill praise thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.' Our Saviour Christ praised him thus in the midst of the church universal. Ps. lxxxvi. 1, 2, Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am holy;' the word is, I am thy servant, or saint, or accepted. How does he praise God? O most mightily! ver. 8, Among the gods there is none like thee, neither are there any works like to thy works. Here is a poor man in his need talks thus; and thou that art so great a God, help'me in a little case. In Ps. lxxxix. is an eminent instance, ver. 52, Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen.' Says Calvin, there are those that say this verse is foisted in. Why? Because the man was in a great deal of misery in the verses before. 'Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servant; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people; wherewith thine enemies have reproached me, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.' How doth he praise God in this psalm!t and it is there made the fruit of his death. I will declare thy name unto my brethren : in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. You that fear the Lord, praise him all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.' You know who said it. O what glory does Christ bring to God; ver. 25, My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.' The matter of his praise is fetched out of God, he fully knew him. And Paul wishes, Eph. iii. 21, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.' In the whole church universal.

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5. Again, this soul, let it be in the lowest frame that can be, in the greatest misery, worst condition, if this frame comes upon it, he will still praise God. I have known such as have been in the bottom of hell, and there praised God. In Ps. lxxxvi., David praised God when he had been in a very pitiful condition, verses 1, 2, 3. Nowhere such praises, as from the 5th to the 15th verse of this psalm. And, as Calvin well said, might not this man as well bless God at last, as he did at first? I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations,' &c. When a soul is at the lowest, if the Spirit of praise come in upon that soul, he will cry out to God aloud in praising him. There is another eminent instance in Ps. xxii. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hung upon the cross; there he hung, and all the pharisees, the bulls came about him; and says he, 'I cried to thee.' What doth he com

* Qu. 'like'?—ED.

That is, Ps. xxii.—ED.

fort himself with? Verse 3, But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.' The praises given to God are so delightful to God the Father, that they are called an habitation to him; and the breadth of them, says Christ, this is that which supports me, Thou art holy, and inhabitest the praises of Israel;' verse 6, I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people;' but no matter, so thou art praised. When the world was overwhelmed with a deluge of misery, yet says the prophet, Wherefore glorify you the Lord in the fires,' Is. xxiv. 15. In the midst of all the fires round about their ears, they glorified God; some read it in the valley,' in the lowest condition they could be in. This soul yet rejoices that it shall live to praise him. My brethren, let us pray for such a heart as this, that the saints of the Old Testament may not shame us that are Christians of the New.

BOOK II.

Of the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity.-What his person is, considered in himself. He is the eternal Son of the Father, one God in essence with him.-The Son, the second person took the man Jesus into personal union with himself; and so Christ is God-man joined into one person. And ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST, by whom are all things, and we by him.— 1 COR. VIII. 6.

CHAPTER I.

How greatly it imports us to have a true knowledge of the person of Christ.— What his person is.—That he existed from all eternity with God as a person; and was not merely a manifestation of the Deity in time, and then only existent when he first appeared in the world.

THERE are two things imported to us in those words of 1 Cor. viii. 6, And one Lord Jesus Christ;'

I. His person, Jesus Christ.'

II. His office and relation to us, and unto all the creation, One Lord, by whom are all things.'

I. I begin first with the setting forth the substance of his person; what it is, and of what made up is he, this Christ, the Lord, of whom all things are. And this is the more necessary (though it be largely handled by others), in relation unto those strange and monstrous opinions, which, as touching the person of Christ, this age hath produced. Satan being let loose, hath preached over his old sermons and notions, read over anew, and refined his old lectures, which he had read to those great heresiarchs in the primitive times; who joining philosophical notions about λóyos, the Word (as philosophers had spoken of him), with what the Jewish Cabala had also said concerning him, made up another Christ than whom the apostles preached. And truly the bottom-cause of men's embracing errors about this, hath been the seducement of that specious and alluring principle unto man's nature, of being one with God himself, in the highest manner that man's vain heart could find ambition within itself to aspire unto. Mistakes of union have caused men to shape out such a Christ, as might serve to their attaining that high and incommunicable union with God, which they have fancied to themselves the creature shall attain; and hence look, as we formerly observed, that to the end they might make way for this, the most hellish blasphemy that ever was uttered, that the creatures were and should become all one with God himself, partakers of the divine nature; they therefore throw down the three persons in the nature of God, as alone possessing that privilege, as those that stood in their way to this preferment.