nature, everything excellent and amiable shared in differently lower
degrees by the whole creation, meet in the Author and Cause of all
things, this is an inadequate and perhaps improper way of speaking
of the Divine nature; but it is manifest that absolute rectitude,
the perfection of being, must be in all senses, and in every
respect, the highest object to the mind.

In this world it is only the effects of wisdom and power and
greatness which we discern; it is not impossible that hereafter the
qualities themselves in the supreme Being may be the immediate
object of contemplation. What amazing wonders are opened to view by
late improvements! What an object is the universe to a creature, if
there be a creature who can comprehend its system! But it must be
an infinitely higher exercise of the understanding to view the
scheme of it in that mind which projected it before its foundations
were laid. And surely we have meaning to the words when we speak of
going further, and viewing, not only this system in His mind, but
the wisdom and intelligence itself from whence it proceeded. The
same may be said of power. But since wisdom and power are not God,
He is a wise, a powerful Being; the divine nature may therefore be a
further object to the understanding. It is nothing to observe that
our senses give us but an imperfect knowledge of things: effects
themselves, if we knew them thoroughly, would give us but imperfect
notions of wisdom and power; much less of His being in whom they
reside. I am not speaking of any fanciful notion of seeing all
things in God, but only representing to you how much a higher object
to the understanding an infinite Being Himself is than the things
which He has made; and this is no more than saying that the Creator
is superior to the works of His hands.