so great an evil) Men might think o∣therwise; Yea, but says Solomon, God seeks and will have a Glory out of this Punishment, as well as out of all things else; of which ye all acknowledg, that God made them for himself. And so in that 2 Thess. 1. 9. They are said to be punisht from the Glory of his Power, that is, from his Power, glorifying himself on them, as I afore expounded it. And as, it is for the Glory of this his Power, so by the same reason of all, or any of those other Attributes, he is pleased to put forth therein.
I shall premise two Maxims, from whence fore-laid the Inference, for the dreadfulness of this will more readily rise, in an infinite height, unto our more serious and sober Apprehensiions.
The first: That all things which God doth for his own Glory, he will perform them like himself, that is, like God: and so make the utmost of every thing, that that subject Matter, whatever it be, will afford of Glory to him. This Rule is ascertained to us, as from the Nature of God; so from that saying of the Apostle, Rom. 1. 21. where he condemns the Gentiles, that they glorified him not as God, that is, in such a manner as was worthy of him; they came not up to that height