9.  And for this cause, we should by faith lay hold upon the promises of the Spirit, whereby we may be made spiritual, and have our understandings enlightened more and more, to understand the mysterious characters of divine majesty and glory.

10.  In all this exercise we should walk with fear, and carry with us impressions of the dreadful majesty and glory of God, that we may tremble and fear, and stand in awe, and read what we read of this glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, this glorious Bible, with reverence and godly fear.  And thus we may be helped to win to right and suitable thoughts of God; yet withal we should, for

CAUTIONS,

Consider a few things further; as,

1.  That we must not think to “search out the Almighty unto perfection,” Job xi. 7.

2.  Nor must we think to get any one point of God known and understood perfectly; corruption will mix in itself, do our best; and our shortcomings will not easily be reckoned up.

3.  We must beware of carnal curiosity, and of unlawful diving into this depth, lest we drown.

4.  We should not dream of a state here, wherein we will not need Christ for this end.  Yea, I suppose, in glory, he will be of use to us, as to the seeing of God; for even there, as he is to-day, so shall he for ever abide, God and man in two distinct natures and one person, and that cannot be for nought; and as God will be still God invisible and unsearchable, so we, though glorified, will remain finite creatures, and therefore will stand in need of Christ, that in his glorious face we may see the invisible.  He must be our lumen gloriae.

5.  We should think it no small matter to have the impressions of this sight upon our hearts, that we cannot see him; and that we, in this state of sin, cannot get right and suitable apprehensions of him.  I say, the impression of this on our spirits, that is, such a sight of impossibility to get him seen aright, as will keep the heart in awe, and cause us walk before him in fear and reverence, and to humble ourselves in the dust, and to tremble whenever we make mention of his name, or begin to meditate on him, knowing how great an one he is, and how dangerous it is to think amiss of him, and how difficult to get a right thought of him.

CHAPTER XIX.

“AND THE LIFE.”  HOW CHRIST IS THE LIFE.

This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1.  That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2.  That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he only is the Life, excluding all other. 3.  That this help is to be had in him fully and completely, for not only is he able to quicken, but he is called the Life; so that the help which he giveth is full, excellent, and complete.