be utterly impossible Now these being the most easie and intelligible Perfections of God by which he is said in Scripture to declare his Name that is to make himself known to us we should govern all our Reasonings about God as concerning his Decrees and his concurrence with the Free Actions of Men and his particular Providence which are things more dark and obscure by what is more clear and we shall find in Scripture that in all these points holy Men do constantly appeal to these unquestionable and intelligible Perfections of God Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked saith Abraham That be far from thee Shall not the Judge of all the world do right We may be mistaken but God certainly knows who are wicked and who are righteous and he knows how to punish the wicked and save the righteous But we cannot be mistaken in this Principle that the Judge of all the world will do right Thus Moses satisfies himself and others concerning the particular Providences of God towards the People of Israel Deut. 32.3 4. I will publish the name of the Lord All his ways are judgement a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is He. This we certainly know of God So St. Paul Rom. 2.2 Thou art inexcusable O Man Whatsoever Excuse men may pretend for their faults he lays down this for a Principle We are sure the Judgment of God is according to truth Secondly Let us always consider the Perfections of God in conjunction and so as to reconcile them with one another Do not consider God as meer Power and Soveraignty as meer Mercy and Goodness as meer Justice and Severity but as all these together and in such a measure and degree as may make them consistent with one another The greatest mistakes in Religion are certainly sprung from this root from separating the Perfections of God and considering them singly and framing such wide and large notions of one as to exclude another whereas the Perfections of God agree together and that is not a Divine Perfection which contradicts any other Perfection Among men indeed an eminent degree of any one Excellency does usually shut out some other and therefore it is observ'd that Power and Moderation Love and Discretion do not often meet together that a great Memory and a small Judgment a good Wit and an ill Nature are many times found in conjunction But in infinite Perfection all Perfections do eminently meet and consist together and it is not necessary that one Excellency should be raised upon the ruines of another And if this had been well consider'd Men would not by being too intent upon God's Soveraignty with neglect of his other Perfections have spoken those hard things about Predestination for the Soveraignty of God doth by no means set him above the Eternal Laws of Goodness and Truth and Righteousness And if this were considered men would not by poring upon the Justice and Severity of God be so swallowed up in despair for God is not so severe but he is merciful to the penitent and hath left a retreat for the returning Sinner If this were well consider'd it would check the presumption of those who incourage themselves in sin by fancying to themselves a God all of Mercy and Goodness and because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed therefore their heart is fully set in them to do evil For it is not Goodness and Mercy finally to bear with and forgive obstinate Offenders but want of Prudence and good Government Thirdly Among different Opinions concerning God as there always have been and will be in the world chuse those which are farthest from extremity because Truth as well as Virtue usually lyes between the Extreams And here I will instance in that Controversie which has much disquieted the Church almost in all Ages concerning the Decrees of God about which there are two Extreams the one that God peremptorily decrees the final condition of every particular person that is their everlasting happiness or misery without any regard or consideration of the good or bad Actions of Men. The other that God decrees nothing concerning any particular person but only in general that men found under such and such Qualifications shall be happy or miserable and puts it into their own power to qualifie themselves Now he that is doubtful in this matter as every man must be that understands the difficulties on both sides had best take up in the middle Opinion that God decrees the final condition of particular persons with respect to certain Qualifications which speaking absolutely are not in every Man's power but yet under the influence of God's grace which is never wanting to the sincere endeavours of men may be said to be in our power in the same sense as St. Paul says I am able to do all things through Christ strengthning me For besides that this in all probability is the Truth there will be this advantage in it that he that stands in the middle is like to be more moderate towards the Dissenters on both sides than either of them will be to one onother because the middle is not so far from either Extream as the Extreams are from one another At the worst he stands fairest for an impartial enquiry after Truth and when he has satisfied himself where the Truth lyes he may more silently pass over to it without any great imputation of inconstancy which cannot but be remarkable in him who passeth from one Extream to another Fourthly and lastly Entertain no Opinion concerning God that doth evidently contradict the Practice of Religion and a good Life though never so specious and subtile Arguments may be used to perswade it Truth is most easily seen and discern'd in those Reasonings and Opinions which tend to practice because the absurdity and inconvenience of them is soonest discovered whereas we cannot so certainly find out the truth or falshood of those Opinions which speculative Men devise in their Studies without any consideration whether they serve any real purpose of Life or not Men indeed are very apt to form those notions which are most remote from common sense and use because more pains and wit are required to make them plausible but there needs no other Argument to make a wise man despise them than that they are unprofitable and signifie nothing to our practice and to make men truly better This is universally true in all kind of knowledge but most considerable in the knowledge of God and Religion because that knowledge is of the greatest consideration We need not scruple to admit some things not so evident to Natural Reason if we be satisfied of the truth of them from an higher and more cogent Reason As that God has revealed it and said it this general Reason may perswade us of a thing that is above and beyond Natural Reason But we may not admit any thing for a Divine Revelation which evidently contradicts and weakens the practice of
continually changing and are not the same we were some of us were Young and now are Old once perhaps flourisht in great Prosperity but now are Poor and Needy were once Strong and Healthful but now Sickly and Weak it should comfort us in all these Changes that God is still the same and he alone is instead of all other Comforts and Supports when all other things fail we may rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of our Salvation Youth and Health and Riches and Friends may forsake us but God hath promised that he will never leave us nor forsake us that he will not leave us when we are old nor forsake us when our strength faileth when our strength fails and our heart fails then is he the strength of our hearts and our portion for ever and when our great change shall come and the terrors of Death shall take hold of us we have still the same Comfort the Lord liveth and blessed be the God of our Salvation In a word the Consideration of God's immutability should keep us fixt and unmoved in all the Changes and Accidents of this World and not apt to be startled and surprized at them according to that of the Psalmist he shall not be afraid of evil tidings because his heart is fixed trusting in God This should make us constant to him and his truth stedfast and unmoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as we know that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord it should make us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering in full assurance that God will be as good to us as his word and in a firm hope and perswasion of that Eternal Life which God that cannot lie hath promised SERMON V. The Knowledge of God 1 SAM 2.3 The Lord is a God of Knowledge I Come now to speak of those Properties and Perfections which relate to the Divine Understanding and Will and Manner and Power of acting Knowledge considers things absolutely and in themselves Wisdom considers the respects and relations of things one to another and under the Notion of Means and Ends. The Knowledge of God is a perfect comprehension of the Nature of all things with all their Powers and Qualities and Circumstances the Wisdom of God is a perfect Comprehension of the Respects and Relations of things one to another of their Harmony and Opposition of their fitness and unfitness to such and such Ends. The Knowledge of God only implies his bare Understanding of Things but his Wisdom implies the Skill of ordering and disposing things to the best Ends and Purposes to make every thing and to govern and administer all things in Number Weight and Measure I shall at present speak of the first of these the Knowledge of God which as I said is a perfect Comprehension of the Nature of all things and of every thing belonging to their Nature of the Powers and Qualities and Circumstances of things These Words signifie God to be the Fountain of Knowledge that is that he possesseth it himself and communicates it to others In the handling of this I shall First Endeavour to prove that this Attribute belongs to God Secondly Shew the Perfection and the Prerogatives of the Divine Knowledge Thirdly Draw some practical Inferences from the whole First For the proof of it I shall attempt it two ways 1. From the Dictates of Natural Light and Reason 2. From Scripture or Divine Revelation 1. From the Dictates of Natural Light and Reason I begin with this first because unless this be establish'd all Divine Revelation falls to the ground unless Natural Reason assures us That God is endowed with Knowledge and Vnderstanding it is in vain to enquire after Divine Revelation For to make any Revelation credible two things are requisite on the part of the Revealer Ability and Integrity that he have a perfect Knowledge and Vnderstanding of the thing which he reveals so that he cannot be deceived himself and so much Goodness and Truth that he will not deceive us Now unless our Reason assure us that God is endowed with Knowledg and Vnderstanding the first Condition is evidently wanting viz. Ability and consequently the second Integrity for there cannot be goodness and veracity without Knowledge This being premised I proceed to the proof of it from such Arguments as our Natural Reason suggests to us I have formerly told you that the Divine Perfections are not to be proved by way of Demonstration but by way of Conviction by shewing the Absurdities and Inconveniencies of the contrary for if we deny Knowledge to God we must deny it to be a Perfection we must deny it to be in any of the Creatures we must attribute many other Imperfections to God all which are absurd to our Natural Reason for Natural Reason dictates to us That Knowledge is a Perfection that it is to be found in the Creatures and that the denial of it to God will argue many other Imperfections in the Divine Nature now these are so many Arguments which Natural Reason offers to us to prove that knowledge belongs to God 1. It is a Perfection and therefore belongs to God Natural Reason tells us tho' the Scripture had not said it That Knowledge excells Ignorance as much as Light doth Darkness now whatever is Perfect and Excellent is to be attributed to the Divine Nature for this is the first Notion we have of God That He is a Being absolutely Perfect 2. Knowledge is to be found in some of the Creatures and therefore is much more in God the Creator because it is derived from him Our very Understandings whereby we know God or any thing else are an Argument that Knowledge and Vnderstanding are in God If he gives wisdom to the wise and Knowledge to them that know Vnderstanding if he communicates this Perfection to the Creatures he himself is much more possest of it The Scripture indeed useth this Argument but I mention it as that which Natural Reason doth suggest to the most brutish and ignorant of Men. Psal 94.8 9 10. Vnderstand ye Brutish among the People and ye Fools when will ye be wise he that planted the Ear shall he not hear he that formed the Eye shall he not see 3. The denyal of this Perfection to God argues many other Imperfections in the Divine Nature Nothing would more eclipse the Divine Nature than to take away this Perfection from it this would bring an universal Obscurity upon God's other Perfections this would be to put out the Light of Heaven and to turn the brightness of the morning into the shadow of death If we remove this Perfection from God we deny his Wisdom He that does not know the Nature and Qualities of Things cannot know how to apply Means to Ends to fit or sute one thing to another And we weaken his Power What an impotent and ineffectual thing would Power be without Knowledge what irregular things
God may upon Repentance without any impeachment of the honour of his Truth or Knowledge or Power either defer or abate or remit the Punishment And that the Predictions of Judgments are to be understood with this Condition appears clearly from that known Text Jer. 18.7 8. I come now to the last thing I proposed to make some Vse of this Doctrine First If God be a God of Truth then this gives us assurance that he doth not deceive us that the Faculties which he hath given us are not false but when they have clear perceptions of Things they do not err and mistake Were it not for the veracity of God we might for any thing we know be under a constant Delusion and no Man could demonstate the contrary but that this is our make and temper and the very frame of our Understandings to be then most of all deceived when we think our selves to be most certain I say no Man could be assured of the contrary but from hence because veracity and truth is a Divine Perfection and therefore God cannot be the Author of Errour and Delusion Therefore we may be assured that the frame of our Understandings is not a Cheat but that our Faculties are true and unless it be our own fault we need not be deceived in things that are necessary to our Happiness Secondly If God be a God of Truth then there is Reason why we should believe and assent to whatever we are satisfied is revealed to us by God A Divine Revelation is a sufficient ground for the most firm assent for this very thing that any thing is revealed by God is the highest Evidence and ought to give us the most firm assurance of the truth of it Hence it is that the Word of God is call'd the Word of truth yea and truth it self John 17.17 Thy Word is truth Therefore whoever entertains the â—criptures as the Word of God and is satisfied of the Divine Authority of them ought in Reason to believe every thing contained in them yea tho' there be some things of which no reasonable account can be given and which our Reason and Understanding cannot give us particular satisfaction in yet because we are satisfied that they are revealed by God who cannot lie whose Knowledge is infallible and whose Word is true we ought upon this higher and superior Reason to yield a firm assent to the truth of them if we do not we dishonour this Perfection of God and rob him of this essential property his Veracity 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeh not the record that God gave of his Son As on the other hand if we do believe what God hath revealed we glorifie this Perfection of his and set our seal to his Veracity So 't is said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 That he was strong in faith giving glory to God And St. John the Baptist speaking concerning our Saviour saith John 3.33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true Thirdly If God be a God of truth and faithful in performing his Promise then here is a firm Foundation for our Hope and Trust If God have made any Promise we may securely rely upon it that it shall be made good we may hold fast our hope without wavering because he is faithful who hath promised Heb. 10.23 Hence it is that the Blessings of God's Covenant are call'd sure mercies Isa 55.3 We attribute much to the Word of a faithful Friend and look upon the Promise of an honest Man as very good security but Men may fail us when we rely upon them but God is true tho' all Men should prove Lyars Men are fickle and murable but the Nature of God is fixt he cannot fail those that trust in him When God hath made any Promise to us we may plead it with him and urge him with his faithfulness So we find David did 2 Sam. 7.25 c. Only we should be careful to perform the Condition which is required on our part Heb. 4.1 we should take heed lest a Promise being left us any one should come short of it by not performing the Condition for that doth release and discharge him of the Promise and he is faithful tho' he doth not perform what he promised because he did not promise but upon Condition and this seem to be the meaning of those Words 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself He said before that if we perform the Conditions required God will bestow the Blessings promised It is a faithful saying for if we be dead with him we also shall live with him if we suffer we also shall reign with him but if we deny him the Curse threatned will then take place and he will deny us and God is not unfaithful in doing this he does not deny himself Now if we have such assurance we may trust him with our greatest Concernments and venture our Souls with him Psal 31.5 Into thy hands I commit my spirit O Lord God of truth We should rely upon him when there are the greatest improbabilities of the accomplishment of his Promises Thus did Abraham Rom. 4.17 c. This should also make us patient in hope if a Promise be not speedily accomplisht we should not be dejected or disquieted David challengeth himself upon this account Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God And so likewise in reference to the Rewards of another World tho' at a distance yet we should as the Apostle speaks wait for the blessed Hope Fourthly The Truth of God is matter of terrour to the Wicked All the threatnings of temporal Evils may justly be expected because their Sins deserve them and there is no Condition implyed in them upon which thou canst reasonably hope for the avoiding or abating of the Evils threatned but of Humiliation and Repentance and if notwithstanding these threatnings thou continuest in thy Sins and blessest thy self saying I shall have peace tho' thou walk in the imaginations of thy heart by this very thing thou provokest the Justice of God not to spare thee and makest his wrath and his jealousie to smoke against thee and if thou continuest impenitent however he may defer the execution of temporal Evils his Truth and Veracity is concerned to inflict eternal Punishments upon thee for he hath sworn in his wrath that such shall no enter into his rest Fifthly Let us propound to our selves the truth of God for our pattern and imitation Would you be like God be true and faithful Truth and faithfulness are Divine Perfections but lying and falsehood are the Properties of the Devil and the predominant qualities of Hell The character of the Devil
possible Perfections to God so we are to separate and remove all manner of Imperfection from him We must not obscure or blemish the Divine Nature with the least shadow or blot of Imperfection If we once admit of this to ascribe any thing to God which argues Imperfection we strike at the foundation and destroy one of the clearest and most essential Notions which Men have of God And therefore we find the Scripture very careful to remove all kind of natural or moral Imperfection from God Gen. 18.25 That be far from Thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee shall not the Judge of all the world do right Deut. 32.4 A God of truth and without iniquity Rom. 9.14 What shall we say then is there unrighteousness with God God forbid far be it from him Hence it is that in Scripture Holiness is so frequently ascrib'd to God which signifies the purity and freedom of the Divine Nature from that which we call Sin and God is very solicitous to give us such a notion of himself as may remove Sin and unrighteousness at the greatest distance from him because that is the greatest of Imperfections Is it an Imperfection to countenance Sin the Scripture acquits God of it Psal 5.4 5. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with Thee Is it an Imperfection to go from ones word or to change ones mind this likewise is remov'd from God 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie or repent he is not a man that he should repent Is it an Imperfection to want any thing to be liable to any thing to depend upon any thing without one's self for their happiness this also is to be set far from him Job 22.2 3. Can a man be profitable to God or is it a gain to him that thou makest thy way perfect Job 35.6 7. If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplied what dost thou unto him If thou art righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the Son of man Is it an Imperfection to tempt or to be tempted to Sin this is to be separated from God He cannot be tempted of evil neither tempteth he any man saith St. James Chap. 1.17 And to mention no more is it an Imperfection to be in any respect mutable This is denyed of God with him there is no variableness or shadow of turning Thus you see how we are to conceive of the Perfections of God by ascribing all imaginable and possible Perfection to him and removing all shadow of Imperfection from him I proceed in the II. Place to lay down some Rules by which we may rectifie and govern our Opinions concerning the Attributes and Perfections of God The best I can think of are these following First Let us begin with the most natural and plain and easie Perfections of God and lay them for a foundation and rectifie all our other Apprehensions of God and Reasonings about him by these and these are his Power Wisdom and Goodness to which most of the rest may be reduced Right Apprehensions and a firm Belief of these will make it easily credible to us that all things were made and are governed by him for his Goodness will dispose and incline him to communicate Being to other things and to take care of them when they are made An infinite Power and Wisdom render him able to do all this without any labour or difficulty and without any disturbance of his ease or happiness as Epicurus would seem vainly to fear who in truth did not believe a God but pretended only to deny his Providence and that he either made or govern'd the world because he was loth to lay so much trouble upon him Vain man as if those things which are impossible and difficult to our Weakness and Folly might not be infinitely easie to infinite Power and Wisdom Particularly the Goodness and Justice of God are not so difficult to apprehend as the Disputes and Controversies about them have rendred them to many When we consider infinite Knowledge and Power we may easily lose our selves and go out of our depth by wading too far into them There is something concerning these that is unimaginable and unaccountable to our Reason we may not be able to understand how Something may be produc'd from Nothing because it argues such an excess of Power as we cannot comprehend but yet we are forc'd to acknowledge that either the World must be produc'd from Nothing or that Matter was eternally of it self which is every whit as hard to imagine as that infinite Power should be able to produce it from nothing So likewise we are not able to conceive how God can certainly know future Events which depend upon voluntary and uncertain Causes because we cannot comprehend infinite Knowledge but this we may easily be satisfied in that infinite Power and Knowledge may be able to do and know many things which we cannot conceive how they can be known or done no more than a Child can imagine how a great Mathematician can demonstrate his Propositions Only this we are sure of as we can be of any thing that no Power can do that which is evidently impossible and implies a plain Contradiction We are not able perhaps to reconcile the particular Providences of God with his universal Goodness Justice and Wisdom because we cannot see to the end of his Ways and Works at one view and see every part with relation to the whole which would appear very wise if we knew the whole series of things and saw the entire design together as God himself does to whom as Solomon tells us all his ways are known from the beginning So that however we may be at a loss in our Conceptions of God's infinite Knowledge and Power yet Goodness and Justice and Truth are Notions easie and familiar and if we could not understand these the whole Bible would be insignificant to us For all Revelation from God supposeth us to know what is meant by Goodness Justice and Truth And therefore no man can entertain any Notion of God which plainly contradicts these And it is foolish for any man to pretend that he cannot know what Goodness and Justice and Truth in God are for if we do not know this 't is all one to us whether God be good or not nor could we imitate his Goodness for he that imitates endeavours to make himself like something that he knows and must of necessity have some Idea of that to which he aims to be like So that if we had no certain and setled Notion of the Goodness and Justice and Truth of God he would be altogether an unintelligible Being and Religion which consists in the imitation of him would
an holy Life because this is the main end of all Divine Revelation and we know God only in order to the service and imitation of him Let us then look upon all knowledge that contradicts practice as vain and false because it destroys its end There are many things that seem probable enough in Speculation which yet we most pertinaciously deny because they are not practicable and there are many things which seem doubtful in Speculation and would admit of great dispute which yet because they are found true in practice and experience are to be taken for certain and unquestionable The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the idle Reasoning of the Stoicks was a thing contemned by the wiser Philosophers as a vain and useless subtilty Zeno pretends to demonstrate there is no Motion and what is the consequence of this Speculation but that Men must stand still But so long as a man finds he can walk all the Sophistry in the world will not perswade him that Motion is impossible In like manner they that would perswade us that men can do nothing nor contribute any more to their own Sanctification than Stocks or Stones and upon Scripture Metaphors misunderstood as our being dead in trespasses and sins and created to good works graft Notions which are impossible and absurd in practice do not consider that the natural consequence of this is that men must do nothing at all in Religion never think of God nor pray to him nor read his Word nor go to Church but sit still and be wholly passive to the operations of God's grace but however this may seem plausible and men may think they add much to the glory of God's grace while they deny any power in the Creature yet every considerate Man will presently apprehend that this is by no means to be admitted because it contradicts Practice and makes all the Commands and Exhortations of God's Word vain and to no purpose because it destroys Religion and discourages the endeavours of Men makes them sloathful and careless of working out their own Salvation than which nothing can set a man farther from God's grace and assistance and more immediately dispose him for ruine and upon some such false Reasoning as this the sloathful Servant in the Parable hid his talent in a napkin and buried it in the earth but when he was called to account his excuse was not admitted but he was cast into utter darkness The two other Particulars namely how far we are to imitate the Divine Perfections and particularly what those Divine Qualities are which our Saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation and likewise to clear the true meaning of this Precept and to shew that the Duty here injoyned Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect is not impossible to us Both these I shall refer to another Opportunity SERMON II. Concerning our imitation of the Divine Perfections MATTH V. 48 Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect IN these words we have First The absolute Perfection of the Divine Nature supposed not only in those before mentioned of Goodness and Mercy and Patience but in all other Excellencies whatsoever Secondly The Perfection of God is propounded as a Pattern for our Imitation In the handling of these two Particulars I propounded to proceed in this method I. To shew how we are to conceive of the Divine Perfection II. To lay down some Rules by which we may rectifie and govern our Opinions concerning the Attributes and Perfections of God III. To shew how far we are to imitate the Perfections of God and particularly what those Divine Qualities are which our Saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation IV. To clear the true meaning of this Precept and to shew that the Duty here intended by our Saviour is not impossible to us and then to draw some useful Inferences from the whole The two first I have already spoken to I now proceed to the third particular which is to shew how far we are to imitate the Perfections of God and particularly what those Divine Qualities are which our Saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation For though these words do suppose the absolute Perfection of the Divine Nature yet because there are several Perfections of God which are incommunicable and a Creature as such is utterly incapable of them these cannot be suppos'd to be intended for a Pattern to us As the necessity and independency of the Divine Nature and the Self-sufficiency of it to his own happiness to be the Original Cause of all things and consequently supream Lord and Governour the Immensity and Eternity of his Being these and perhaps several other Perfections are incommunicable to a Creature and it would be an unsufferable pride and a kind of High Treason against the Divine Majesty and a sottish Ignorance of the necessary bounds and limits of our own State as we are Creatures to think to resemble God in these Excellencies of which the condition of a Creature is utterly incapable This was the Sin of Lucifer an ambition to step into the Throne of God and to be like the most high So that in our imitation of the Divine Perfection we are to keep within the station of Creatures not affecting an Independency and Soveraignty like the most high and to be Omnipotent as he is to have an arm like God and to thunder with a voice like him as the expression is in Job But to endeavour to resemble him pro modulo creaturae according to the rate and capacity of a Creature in those Divine Qualities and in such measures and degrees as our finite and dependent Nature is capable of More especially and chiefly in the moral Perfections of the Divine Nature such as are his Goodness and Mercy and Patience his Justice and Truth and Faithfulness these and only these the Scripture seems to comprehend under the name of Holiness not all the Excellencies of the Divine Nature in general but those which we call moral Excellencies and Perfections such as those which I have named for with these and hardly with any other is the Holiness of God joyn'd in Scripture as holy and righteous holy and true c. And therefore when God says be ye holy for I am holy it signifies that we are to imitate God in his Goodness and Mercy and Patience and Righteousness and Faithfulness and Truth for these are the Holiness of the Divine Nature which set him at the greatest distance from that which we call Moral Impurity and Sin For that which our Saviour here in the Text more peculiarly recommends to our imitation is the Goodness of God of which his Mercy and Patience are two eminent Branches The Mercy of God is his Goodness to those that are in Misery or are liable to it The Patience of God is his Mercy in sparing those who have deserved Punishment and are liable to it And the
Divine Perfections that these being laid for a foundation we may upon all occasions have recourse to them and govern our Opinions and Reasonings in Religion about all doubtful matters by such Principles as are clear and unquestionable The II. Inference is That the truest and most substantial Practice of Religion consists in the imitation of the Divine Perfections especially the Moral Perfections of the Divine Nature which the Scripture is wont to comprehend under the name of Holiness and such are the Goodness and Mercy and Patience of God his Justice and Truth and Faithfulness To imitate God in these is true Religion or as St. James expresses it pure Religion and undefiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any flaw or blemish alluding to precious Stones the greatest commendation of which is to be clear and without flaw Religio est imitari quem colis this is Religion to imitate him whom we worship This the Heathens by the light of Nature did discover to be the great End of Religion and the best Worship of the Deity to be like God Pythagoras was wont to say that we honour God most when we are most like him in the temper and disposition of our Minds and Plato to the same purpose that the height and Perfection of Goodness is to resemble God as near as is possible and that we resemble God in being just and holy and wise So likewise Hierocles that a good man imitates God in the measures of Love and Friendship who hates no man and extends his benignity to all Mankind Plutarch hath an excellent Discourse about the Patience of God towards Sinners and gives this as one Reason why God doth not presently punish Offenders that he might give an Example to us of Gentleness and Patience and check the fury and violence of men in revenging Injuries upon one another which nothing will do more effectually than to consider that Gentleness and Forbearance are an imitation of the Divine Perfection And then he cites an excellent saying of Plato that God manifested himself and display'd his Perfections in the World for our imitation true Virtue being nothing else but an imitation of the Divine Nature For there is no greater Benefit man can receive from God's hand than to become virtuous by the imitation and pursuit of those Excellencies and Perfections which are in God Seneca likewise hath many passages to this purpose inter viros bonos ac Deum amicitia est imo etiam necessitudo similitudo between God and good men there is a friendship yea and an intimacy and likeness and that a virtuous man is discipulus aemulatorque vera progenies Dei a disciple and imitator and the very genuine off-spring of God So that the light of Nature and the Reason of Mankind have always placed the perfection of Religion in the imitation of the Divine Excellencies and Perfections And this is very agreeable to the language and sense of the holy Scriptures which every where make the Practice of Religion to consist in our Conformity to God and the Laws which he hath given us which are nothing else but a transcript of his Nature The great business of Religion is to do the Will of God and this is the will of God our sanctification and our sanctification is our conformity to the holiness of God and this is the scope of the general Exhortations of Scripture to perswade us to holiness that is to an imitation of the Moral Perfections of the Divine Nature 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfect holiness in the fear of God 1 Pet. 1.15 16. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy 2 Pet. 1.3 4. speaking of the Christian Religion which he calls the knowledge of him who hath called us to glory and virtue whereby also says he are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these we might be partakers of a divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust So that the holiness the Gospel designs to bring us to is a participation of the Divine Nature which we can no otherwise partake of but by an imitation of the Divine Perfections This is that which the Scripture expresses to us by the terms of Regeneration the New Man and the New Creature And therefore those who are converted from a wicked and sinful state and reclaimed to goodness are said to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and the holiness of truth Ephes 4.23 To be renewed after the image of him that created us Coloss 3.10 This is to be the sons and children of God to imitate and resemble God in our dispositions and manners Ephes 5.1 Be ye therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imitators of God as dear children Philip. 2.15 That ye may be blameless and sincere the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation 1 John 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God There have been great enquiries concerning the Marks of a Child of God this is the true Character and that which in effect comprehends all others our imitation and resemblance of God in those Perfections wherein he is set forth for a Pattern to us And in this mainly consists the practice both of Natural Religion and of true Christianity But does not Religion consist very much in the Duties of God's Worship in the Exercises of Piety and Devotion in constant and frequent Prayers to God and in the celebration of his Goodness by Praise and Thanksgiving in reading and hearing and meditating upon God's Word in Fasting and Abstinence and keeping our bodies in subjection to our spirits and in frequent receiving of the holy Sacrament To this I answer That Religion doth consist very much in the due performance of these Duties and they are unquestionable and necessary parts of Religion and the Means appointed by God for the begetting and increasing in us such dispositions of mind as render us most like to God and for the production of all the fruits of Goodness and Holiness and Righteousness in our lives But then it is to be considered that these Exercises of Piety and Devotion are but the Means of Religion and not the ultimate End and Design of it All these do but serve to bring us to a nearer resemblance of God and where they fail of this End and are performed for their own sakes only and we rest in them without aiming at any thing farther they lose their nature because they are not used as Means but rested in as if they were the End of Religion And it is to be feared there are many which fall into this fatal mistake about Religion and think that if
off from perfect and compleat Happiness If the Deity were subject to any change or impairment of his Condition so that either his Knowledge or Power or Wisdom or Goodness or any other Perfection could any ways decline or fall off there would be a proportionable abatement of happiness And from all these does result in the 7 th and last place Infinite Contentment and Satisfaction Pleasure and Delight which is the very Essence of happiness 1. Infinite Contentment and Satisfaction in this Condition And well may happiness be contented with it self that is with such a Condition that he that is possest of it can neither desire it should be better nor have any cause to fear it should be worse 2. Pleasure and Delight which is something more than Contentment For one may be contented with an Affliction and painful Condition in which he is far from taking any Pleasure and Delight No affliction is joyous for the present but grievous as the Apostle speaks Heb. 12. But there cannot be perfect happiness without Pleasure in our Condition Full Pleasure is a certain mixture of Love and Joy hard to be exprest in Words but certainly known by inward Sense and Experience And thus I have endeavour'd to describe to you as well as I could according to our imperfect Conceptions and Expressions of God the happiness of the Divine Nature and wherein it consists I proceed to the II. Thing I proposed which was to shew that this Attribute of Perfection doth belong to God and that the Divine Nature is perfectly Blessed and Happy and this is so universal an acknowledgment of Natural Light that it would be a very superfluous and impertinent Work to trouble you with particular Citations of Heathen Authors to this purpose nothing being more frequent in them than to call the Deity beatissimam perfectissimam naturam the most happy and most perfect Being and therefore happy because Felicity doth naturally result from Perfection It shall suffice to take notice of these Two things out of Heathen Writers to my present purpose 1. That they accounted happiness so essential to the Notion of a God that this was one of the Ways which they took to find out what Properties were fit to attribute to God and what not to consider what things are consistent with happiness or inconsistent with it and whatever did signifie happiness and was a perfection consistent with it they ascribed to God as a suitable Property of the Divine Nature and whatever was otherwise they remov'd it from God as unfit to be said of Him 2. Whatever differences there were among the Philosophers concerning the Perfections of the Divine Nature they all agreed in the perfect felicity of it even Epicurus himself who so boldly attempted to strip the Divine Nature of most of its Perfections by denying that God either made or govern'd the World whereby he took away at once his being the first Cause and Original of all things and his Goodness likewise and Wisdom and Power and Justice or at least made all these useless by taking away all occasion and opportunity for the exercise of them yet this Man does frequently own and profess to believe the happiness of the Divine Nature and then out of an ignorant and officious kindness to the Deity and as he pretended for the security of his Felicity did in effect take away his other Perfections he would by no means put God to the Trouble and Burden of making the World or taking care of the Affairs of it lest this should discompose the Deity or be an interruption or disturbance of his Ease and Felicity For thus Lucretius the great Disciple of Epicurus describes his Opinion of the Divine Nature Omnis enim divûm per se natura necesse est Immortali aevo summâ cum pace fruatur Semota à nostris rebus sejunctaque longè Nam privata dolore omni privata periclis Ipsa suis pollens opibus nihil indiga nostrî Nec benè pro meritis capitur nec tangitur irâ That is It is necessary that the Divine Nature should be Happy and therefore altogether unconcern'd in our Affairs free from all grief and danger sufficient for it self and standing in need of no body neither pleased with our Good Actions nor provoked by our Faults This was a very false Notion both of God and Happiness to imagine that the Care of the World should be a pain and disturbance to Infinite Knowledge and Power and Goodness But this is not now my business to consider that which is to my present purpose is That the happiness of the Divine Nature was Universally owned and that blessedness is so inseparable from the Notion of a Deity that whoever professes to believe a God must acknowledge him to be perfectly happy As for the Testimony of Scripture I have already told you that there are but two Texts wherein this Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the happy or blessed is given to God but by consequence the Scripture every where declares the happiness of the Divine Nature viz. wherever it speaks of the Excellency and Perfection of his Being of his Knowledge and Power and Wisdom and Goodness and Righteousness and of the Eternity and Unchangeableness of these and of the infinite Delight and Complacency which he takes in the Enjoyment of these perfections I shall now proceed to the III. And last thing which I proposed to consider viz. How far Creatures are capable of happiness and by what ways and means they may be made partakers of it They are not capable of absolute and perfect happiness because that results from infinite perfection which is no where to be found but in God It remains then that Creatures are only capable of being happy in a finite and limited degree by the resemblance of God and by the enjoyment of him by being like to him and by our likeness to him being qualified for his favour and for the enjoyment of him As we are Creatures of a finite Power and limited Understandings and a mutable Nature we do necessarily want many of those perfections which are the Cause and Ingredients of a perfect happiness We are far from being sufficient for our own happiness we are neither so of our selves nor can we make our selves so by our own Power for neither are we wise enough for our own direction nor good enough for our own satisfaction All the happiness that we are capable of is by communication from him who is the Original and Fountain of it by our being made partakers of the Divine Nature as St. Peter speaks by our resemblance of God in those perfections which are the most essential Ingredients of happiness his Goodness and Righteousness and Truth and Holiness these do immediately qualifie us for the Favour and Friendship of Almighty God and for the blessed sight and enjoyment of him and the Favour of God and the Light of his Countenance lifted up upon us and his Friendship and Good-Will to
to our selves I. For the Explication of it By the immutability of God we mean that he always is and was and to all Eternity will be the same that he undergoes no changes either of his Essence and Being or of his Properties and Perfections In reference to the unchangeableness of his being he is said to be eternal incorruptible and only to have immortality In reference to his perfections he is always the same infinitely Wise and Good and Powerful and Holy and just Being from whence it follows that he is Constant and Immutable in all his Decrees and Counsels his Purposes and Promises We are uncertain and mutable in in our very Nature and Beings and in all those Qualities and Perfections which belong to us in all our Purposes Resolutions and Actions we are continually growing or decreasing in this or that quality and do frequently change from one extream to another from that which is more perfect to the contrary now knowing and then ignorant somtimes wise and oftner foolish stronger and weaker better or worse as it happens and as we order our selves continually waxing or waining in our Knowledge and Wisdom and Goodness and Power we frequently change our Minds and alter our Purposes and break our Promises and contradict our firmest and most serious Resolutions and speak a thing and do it not say it and do not bring it to pass but God is everlastingly the same in all his Perfections constant to his Intentions steady to his Purpose immutably fixt and persevering in all his Decrees and Resolutions I proceed to the II. Thing I proposed namely To shew that this Perfection is essential to God to be unchangeably what he is And this I shall endeavour to make manifest both from Natural Reason and from the Divine Revelation of the Holy Scriptures 1. From the Dictates of natural Reason which tells us that nothing Argues greater weakness and imperfection than Inconstancy and Change This is the great Vanity of all Creatures that they are uncertain and do not long continue in one state this is the vanity of the World in general that the fashion of it passeth away and of Man in particular that he is liable to so many natural changes by Age and Diseases and Death for which Reason he is said by the Psalmist to be in his best estate altogether vanity and that he is liable to so many moral changes to be deluded and deceived in his Understanding and to alter his Opinion so often to be so fickle in his Will and to change so often his Purposes and Resolutions according to the alteration or appearance of things We attribute Change and Inconstancy to Persons of the weakest Age and Understanding as Children who are liable to be tost to and fro and carried about with every wind as the Apostle speaks Eph. 4.14 Now if the Divine Nature were subject to change this would cast an universal Cloud upon all the Divine Perfections and obscure all other Excellencies and make them like the flower of the field which how gay and glorious soever is fading and perishing and the greater the Divine Perfections are the greater Imperfection would mutability be for as the corruption of the best things is the worst so the better any thing is so much the worse it would be to have it liable to Corruption and Change And as mutability in God would darken all his other Perfections so would it take away the Foundation and comfort of all Religion the ground of our Faith and Hope and Fear of our Love and Esteem of God would be quite taken away We could have no great Honour or Esteem for a Being that is fickle and inconstant if his Power and Justice were uncertain his Threatings would in a great measure lose their awe and force if his Truth and Faithfulness could fail no Promises and Declarations how gracious soever would be any security or firm ground of Trust and Confidence And this Reasoning is not the result of Divine Revelation but clearly founded in the natural Notions and Suggestions of our Minds as will appear by citing one or two Testimonies to this burpose of those who had no other Guide but Natural Light Plato in his Phoedo enquires Whether the most perfect that is God be always the same or sometimes thus and sometimes otherwise that is saith he whether that which is Equality and Goodness and Bounty it self receives any the least Change at any time and be not Constant and Uniform and of it self always the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is never in any wise upon any account subject to any Change or Alteration whatsoever To which he answers That it is necessary that he should be the same and always alike And lib. 2. de Repub. where he lays down the Fundamental Laws and Constitutitions of Religion he mentions these two which one would almost think he borrow'd from St. James but that he lived so long before him viz. First That God is the Cause of all good and and in no wise of any evil answerably to what our Apostle here asserts that God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any Man but that every good and perfect gift is from him Secondly That God doth not deceive us by making various Representations of himself to us sometimes in one form and sometimes in another for he is unchangeable and always the same and cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pass out of his own Idea or be any other than what he is which he further confirms by this excellent Reasoning That which is the best and most perfect Being is not liable to any Alteration but such a Being is God and therefore he cannot be changed by any thing that is weaker and less perfect than himself and he cannot will to change himself for if he should it must either be for the better or for the worse it cannot be for the better for being already possest of all Perfection there can be no accession of any to him by any change and certainly there is no Wise Being as God is that will change for the worse and therefore he concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That being the goodliest and best Being that is possible he always continues simply the same Seneca likewise speaking of the immutability of God's Counsels l. 6. de Benef. Statuerunt says he quae non mutarent neque unquam primi consilii Deos poenitet The Gods make unchangeable decrees and never repent them of their first counsel 2. This will yet more clearly appear from the Divine Revelation of the Holy Scriptures which tell us that God is unchangeable in his Nature and in his Perfections in all his Decrees and Purposes and Promises In his essence and being Exod. 3.14 I am that I am this is his Name whereby he made known himself to the comfort of his People and to the terrour of the Egyptians their Oppressors Psal 90.2 From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psal 102.27 Thou art
in the entrance upon this Argument that the handling of this Question concerning Providence doth suppose the Being of God and that he made the World as Principles already known and granted before we come to dispute of his Providence for it would be in vain to argue about the Providence of God with those who question his Being and whether the World was made by him But supposing these two Principles that God is and that he made the World it is very credible that he should take care of the Government of it and especially of one of the noblest Parts of it the race of Mankind For we cannot believe that he who employed so much Power and Wisdom in the raising of this great and magnificent Pile and furnishing every part of it with such variety of Creatures so exquisitely and so wisely fitted for the use and service of one another should so soon as he had perfected it forsake his own Workmanship and take no farther care of it Especially considering that it is no trouble and disquiet to him either to take notice of what is done here below or to interpose for the regulating of any Disorders that may happen for Infinite Knowledge and Wisdom and Power can do this with all imaginable ease knows all things and can do all things without any disturbance of its own happiness And this hath always been the common Apprehension of Mankind that God knows all things and observes every thing that is done in the World and when he pleaseth interposes in the affairs of it 'T is true indeed the Epicureans did deny that God either made the World or governs it and therefore wise Men always doubted whether they did indeed believe the Being of God or not but being unwilling to incur the danger of so odious an Opinion they were content for fashion sake to own his Being provided they might take away the best and most substantial Arguments for the proof oâ— it The rest of the Philosophers owned a Providence at least a general Providence that took care of great and more important Matters but did not descend to a constant and particular care of every Person and every little Event belonging to them Interdum curiosus singulorum says Tully now and then when he pleases he takes care of particular Persons and their lesser concernments but many of them thought that God did generally neglect the smaller and more inconsiderable affairs of the World Dii minora negligunt neque agelloâ— singulorum viticulas persequuntur The Gods overlook smaller matters and do not mind every Mans little Field and Vine Such imperfect apprehensions had they of the Providence of God And tho' they would seem hereby to consult the Dignity and ease of the Deity by exempting him from the care and trouble of lesser Matters yet in truth and reality they cast a dishonourable reflection upon him as if it were a burthen to Infinite Knowledge and Power and Goodness to take care of every thing But now Divine Revelation hath put this matter out of doubt by assuring us of God's particular care of all Persons and Events Our Saviour tells us that God's Providence extends to the least and most inconsiderable Creatures to the grass of the Field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven Mat. 6.30 To the fowls of the air and that to the least of them even to the Sparrows two of which are sold for a Farthing and yet not one of them falleth to the ground without God Mat. 10.29 Much more doth the Providence of God extend to Men which are Creatures far more considerable and to the very least thing that belongs to us to the very hairs of our head which are all numbered the lowest instance that can be thought on So that the light of Nature owns a more general Providence and Divine Revelation hath rectified those imperfect apprehensions which Men had about it and hath satisfied us that it extends it self to all particulars and even to the least things and most inconsiderable And this is no ways incredible considering the Infinite Perfection of the Divine Nature in respect of which God can with as much and greater ease take care of every thing than we can do of any one thing and the belief of this is the great foundation of Religion Men therefore pray to God for the good they want and to be freed from the evils they fear because they believe that he always regards and hears them Men therefore make Conscience of their Duty because they believe God observes them and will reward and punish their good and evil Deeds So that take away the Providence of God and we pull down one of the main Pillars upon which Religion stands we rob our selves of one of the greatest Comforts and best Refuges in the Afflictions and Calamities of this life and of all our hopes of happiness in the next And tho' there be many disorders in the World especially in the Affairs of Men the most irregular and intractable Piece of God's Creation yet this is far from being a sufficient Objection against the Providence of God if we consider that God made Man a free Creature and capable of abusing his Liberty and intends this present life for a state of trial in order to another where Men shall receive the just recompence of their Actions here And then if we consider that many of the evils and disorders which God permits to happen are capable of being over-ruled by him to a greater good and are made many times to serve wise and excellent purposes and that the Providence of God does sometimes visibly and remarkably interpose for the prevention and remedy of great Disorders and Confusions I say considering all this it is no blemish to the Divine Providence to permit many of those Irregularities which are in the World and suffer the Fates of good and bad Men to be so cross and unequal in this life For supposing another life after this wherein Men shall come to an Account and every Man shall receive the just recompence of his Actions there will then be a proper Season and full Opportunity of seting all things streight and no Man shall have reason then either to glory in his wickedness or to complain of his sufferings in this World This is the first that God's Providence governs the World and interests it self in the affairs of Men and disposeth of all Events that happens to them and this is a very good Reason why we should cast our particular cares upon him who hath undertaken the Government of the whole 2. The Providence of God is more peculiarly concerned for good Men and he takes a more particular and especial care of them The Apostle speaks this to Christians cast all your care on him for he careth for you And this David limits in a more peculiar manner to good Men cast thy burthen upon the Lord and he will sustain thee he shall never suffer the
against an Infinite God And thus the Mercy of God is exalted without the Diminution of his Justice And as his Incarnation did qualifie him for suffering so for compassion and fellow-suffering with us Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high-priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people for in that he himself hath suffer'd being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted 2. His Life was a means admirably fitted to bring Men to Holiness and Goodness I might go through all the parts of it but because I intend to be very short upon these Heads I shall only take notice of that Part of his Life which was spent in his publick Ministry he went about doing good the Doctrine that he Preached was Calculated for the destroying of Sin and the promoting of Holiness the great End and Design of it was to advance Righteousness and Goodness and Humility and Patience and Self-denial to make us mortifie our sensual Desires and brutish Passions to contemn and renounce this present World and this being the design of it it was a most proper Engine to demolsh the Works of the Devil and to make way for the entertainment of his Doctrine the whole frame of his Life and all the circumstances of it did contribute His Life was the practice of his Doctrine and a clear comment upon it The meanness of his Condition in the World that he had no share of the possessions of it were a great advantage to his Doctrine of self-denial and contempt of the World The Captain of our Salvation that he might draw off our Affections from the World and shew us how little the things of it are to be valued would himself have no share in it Mat. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the son of Man hath not where to lay his head The mean circumstances of his Condition were very eminently for the advantage of his Design for had he not been stript of all worldly Accommodations he could not have been so free from suspition of a worldly Interest and Design nay he could not have been so Considerable he was really greater for his Meanness The very Heathens did account this true Greatness as we find in Aristotle not to admire the Pleasures and Greatness and Pomp of the World And that his Meanness might be no Disadvantage to him those Evidences that he gave of his Divinity in the wonderful Things that he did rendred him considerable and gained more Reverence and Authority to his Doctrine then his Meanness could bring Contempt upon it Besides the manner of his Conversation was a very great Advantage to him he was of a very sweet and conversable and obliging Temper and by this Means he did gain upon the People and was acceptable to them and thus he did apply himself to them in the most Humane ways to make way for the Entertainment of his Doctrins The Miracles that he wrought did confirm his Doctrine beyond all Exception as being a Divine Testimony and setting the Seal of God to the truth of it yet because many were blinded with prejudice and tho' they did see yet would not see Christ the Wisdom of God did so order the business of his Miracles as to make them Humane ways of wining upon them for they were generally such as were beneficial he healed all manner of Diseases and Maladies by this Miraculous Power and so his Miracles did not only tend to confirm his Doctrine as they were Miracles but to make way for entertainment of it as they were benefits this was a sensible demonstration to them that he intended them good because he did them good they would easily believe that he who healed their Bodies would not harm their Souls This for his Life III. His Death which was the lowest step of his Humiliation and the consummation of his sufferings Now the Death of Christ did eminently contribute to this Design of our Redemption The Death of Christ did not only expiate the guilt of Sin and pacifie Conscience by making plenary Satisfaction to the Divine Justice but did eminently contribute to the killing of Sin in us Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old Man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we might not serve Sin Rom. 8.3 God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin that is by being a sacrifice for Sin condemned sin in the flesh The Death of Christ convinceth Sin to be a great Evil and doth Condemn it because the impartial Justice of God did so severely punish it in his own Son when he appeared in the Person of a Sinner and this is the most powerful Argument to us to crucifie Sin that it crucified our Saviour That so Innocent and Holy a Person should suffer so cruel and ignominious a Death for our Sins should set us for ever against it and make us hate it with a perfect hatred The circumstances of Christ's sufferings are with admirable Wisdom fitted for the conquering of Sin and Satan Sin came by the Woman the seed of the Woman suffers for Sin and by suffering Conquers it Sin began in the Garden and there our Saviour began his sufferings for Sin Sin came by the Tree and Christ bears the curse of it in hanging upon the Tree and crucifies it by his Cross And as he conquer'd sin so he overcame Satan by his own Arts. The Devil found Christ in the likness of a Man he judged him Mortal and his great Design was to procure his Death and get him into his Grave Christ permits him to bring about his Design he lets him enter into Judas he lets the Jews crucifie and put him into his Grave and roll a great stone upon it but here his Divine Wisdom appears in ruining the Devil by his own Design and snaring him in the works of his hands Heb. 2.14 By death he destroys him that had the power of death that is the Devil I know the sufferings of Christ were by the wise of the World made the great Objection against the Wisdom of this dispensation the Cross of Christ was to the Greeks foolishness and yet the wisest of them had determined otherwise in general tho' not in this particular Case Plato in the second Book of his Common-Wealth saith That a Man may be a perfect Pattern of Justice and Righteousness and be approved by God and Men he must be stript of all the things of this World he must be poor and disgraced and be accounted a wicked and unjust Man he must be whipt and tormented and crucified as a Malefactor which is as it were a prophetical Description of our Saviour's sufferings And Arrian in his Epict. describing a Man fit to reform the World whom he calls the Apostle the Messenger the Preacher and
Minister of God saith he must be without House and Harbour and worldly Accommodations must be armed with such Patience for the greatest sufferings as if he were a Stone and devoid of Sense he must be a spectacle of Misery and Contempt to the World So that by the acknowledgment of these two wise Heathens there was nothing in the sufferings of Christ that was unbecoming the Wisdom of God and improper to the End and Design of Christ's coming into the World besides that they served a further end which they did not dream of the satisfying of Divine Justice Secondly His Exaltation The several parts of which his Resurrection and Ascension and sitting the right hand of God were eminently subservient to the perfecting and carrying on of this Design The Resurrection of Christ is the great confirmation of the truth of all that he deliver'd Rom. 1.4 Declared to be the son of God with power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Resurrection from the Dead This great Miracle of his Resurrection from the Dead did determine the Controversie and put it out of all Doubt and Question that he was the Son of God And then his Ascension and sitting at the right hand of God this gives us the assurance of a Blessed Immortality and is a demonstration of a life to come and a pledge of everlasting Glory and Happiness And can any thing tend more to the encouragement of Obedience and to make us Dead to the Pleasures and Enjoyments of this life than the assurance of Eternal Life and Happiness And then the Consequents of his Exaltation they do eminently conduce to our recovery The sending of the Holy Ghost to lead us into all truth to sanctifie us to assist us and to comfort us under the greatest Troubles and Afflictions and the powerful Intercession of Christ in our behalf and his return to Judgment the expectation whereof is the great Argument to Repentance and Holiness of Life Acts 17.30 31. And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to repent Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the dead And thus I have endeavoured to prove that the Redemption of Man by Jesus Christ is a Design of admirable Wisdom The use I shall make of it is to convince us of the Uunreasonableness of unbelief and the Folly and Madness of Impenitency First The unreasonableness of Unbelief The Gospel reveals to us the wise Counsel and Dispensation of God for our Redemption and those who disbelieve the Gospel they reject the counsel of God against themselves as it is said of the unbelieving Pharisees and Lawyers Luke 7.30 The Gospel reveals to us a design so reasonable and full of Wisdom that they who can disbelieve it are desperate Persons devoted to ruin 1 Cor. 1.18 The cross of Christ is to them that perish foolishness 2 Cor. 4.3 4. But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them The Gospel carries so much light and evidence in it that it cannot be hid from any but such whose Eyes are blinded by the Devil and their Lusts He that will duly weigh and consider Things and look narrowly into this wise dispensation of God shall find nothing to object against it nay shall discover in it the greatest motives and inducements to believe We are apt to believe any thing that is reasonable especially if it be for our Advantage now this wise dispensation of God is not only reasonable in it self but beneficial to us it does at once highly gratifie our Understandings and satisfie our Interest why should we not then believe and entertain it I. The design of the Gospel is reasonable and gratifies our Understandings And in this respect the Gospel hath incomparable Advantages above any other Religion The end of all Religion is to advance Piety and Holiness and real Goodness among Men and the more any Religion advanceth these the more reasonable it is Now the great Incitements and Arguments to Piety are the Excellency and Perfection of the Divine Nature fear of Punishment and hopes of Pardon and Rewards Now the Gospel represents all these to the greatest advantage 1. It represents the Perfections of God to the greatest advantage especially those which tend most to the promotion of Piety and the love of God in us his Justice and Mercy 1. His Justice The Gospel represents it inflexible in its Rights and inexorable and that will not in any case let Sin go unpunish'd The impartiality of the Divine Justice appears in this Dispensation that when God pardons the Sinner yet he will punish Sin so severely in his own Son who was the Surety Now what could more tend to discountenance Sin and convince us of the great evil of it 2. His Mercy This Dispensation is a great demonstration of the Mercy and Goodness and Love of God in sending his Son to die for Sinners and in saving us by devoting and sacrificing him John 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us 1 John 4.9 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Now this representation of God's Mercy and Love which the Gospel makes is of great force and efficacy to melt our Hearts into love to God 2. The Second Argument to Piety is fear of Punishment The Gospel hath revealed to us the misery of those who continue in their Sin it hath made clear and terrible discoveries of those Torments which attend sinners in another World and hath open'd to us the Treasures of God's Wrath so that now under the Gospel hell is naked before us and destruction hath no covering and this is one thing which makes the Gospel so powerful an Engine to destroy sin Rom. 1.16 18. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for therein is the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men 3. Hopes of Pardon and Reward And this added to the former renders the Gospel the most powerful Instrument to take men off from sin and engage them to Holiness that can be imagin'd The Means to draw Men from sin when they are once awaken'd with the fear of Vengeance is hopes of Pardon and Mercy and the way to encourage Obedience for the future is hope of
which relate to the Divine Vnderstanding viz. Knowledge and Wisdom I come now to consider those which relate to the Divine Will viz. these four the Justice the Truth the Goodness and the Holiness of God I begin with the First namely the Justice of God At the 17 verse of this chapter God by a great and wonderful Condescention of his goodness reveals to Abraham his Intention concerning the Destruction of Sodom upon this Abraham v. 23. interceded with God for the saving of the Righteous Persons that were there and to this end he Pleads with God his Justice and Righteousness with which he apprehended it to be in consistent to destroy the Righteous with the wicked which without a Miracle could not be avoided in a general Destruction Wilt thou also destroy the Righteous with the Wicked Peradventure there be fifty Righteous within the City wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty Righteous that are therein that be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the Righteous with the Wicked and that the Righteous should be as the Wicked that be far from thee shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right This Negative Interrogation is equivalent to a vehement affirmation shall not the Judge all the Earth do right that is undoubtedly he will This we may take for a certain and undoubted Principle that in the distribution of rewards and punishments the Judge of the World will do Righteously So that the Argument that lies under our Consideration is the Justice of God in the distribution of Rewards and Punishments for the clearing of which we will consider it First In Hypothesi in regard to the particular Case which is here put by Abraham in the Text. Secondly In Thesi we will consider it in General in the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments First We will consider it in Hypothesi in regard to the particular Case which is here put by Abraham in the Text and the rather because if we look well into it there is something of real Difficulty in it not easie to be cleared for Abraham's reasoning if it be true does plainly Conclude that it would have been unrighteous with God in the destruction of Sodom not to make a difference between the Righteous and the Wicked but to involve them equally in the same common Destruction That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the Righteous with the Wicked and that the Righteous should be as the Wicked that be far from thee shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right as if he had said surely the Judge of all the Earth will never do so unrighteous a Thing And yet notwithstanding this we see it is very usual for the Providence of God to involve good Men in general Calamities and to make no visible difference between the Righteous and the Wicked Now the difficulty is how to reconcile these appearances of Providence with this reasoning of Abraham in the Text. And for the doing of this I see but one possible way and that is this that Abraham does not here speak concerning the Judgments of God which befal Men in the ordinary Course of his Providence which many times happen promiscuously and involve good and bad Men in the same ruine and the reason hereof is Plain because God in his ordinary Providence does permit the Causes which produce these Judgments to Act according to their own Nature and they either cannot or will not make any distinction for the Calamities which ordinarily happen in the World are produced by two sorts of Causes either those which we call Natural or those which are Voluntary Natural Causes such as Wind and Thunder and Storms and the infection of the Air and the like these acting by a Necessity of Nature without any Knowledge or Choice can make no distinction between the Good and the Bad. And the Voluntary Causes of Calamities as Men are they many times will make no difference between the Righteous and the Wicked nay many times they are Maliciously bent against the Righteous and the effects of their Malice fall heaviest upon them Now we say that things happen in the way of ordinary Providence when Natural Causes are permitted to Act according to their Nature and Voluntary Causes are left to their Liberty and therefore in the course of ordinary Providence it is not to be expected that such a distinction should be made it is neither possible nor does Justice require it it is not possible supposing Natural Causes left to Act according to their Nature and Voluntary Causes to be left to their Liberty nor does Justice require it for every Man is so much a Sinner that no evil that befals him in this World can be said to be unjust in respect of God So that Abraham is not here to be understood as speaking of such Judgments as befal Men in the ordinary course of God's Providence in which if the Good and Bad be involv'd alike it cannot be expected to be otherwise nor is there any injustice in it but Abraham here speaks of Miraculous and Extraordinary Judgments which are immediately inflicted by God for the Punishment of some crying Sins and the example of the World to deter others from the like And such was this Judgment which God intended to bring upon Sodom and which Abraham hath Relation to in this Discourse of his In this Case it may be expected from the Justice of God that a Difference should be made between the Righteous and the Wicked and that for these Reasons 1. Because this is a Judgment which God himself executes It is not an Event of common Providence which always follows the Nature of its Cause but an Act of God as a Judge Now it is essential to a Judge to make a Discrimination between the Good and the Bad so as to punish the one and spare the other and this is as necessary to all proper Acts of Judgment in this World as the other there being no other difference between them but that one is a Particular Judgment and the other the General Judgment of the whole World 2. When God goes out of the way of his ordinary Providence in Punishing it may reasonably be expected that he should make a Difference between the Good and the Bad for the Reason why he does not in his common Providence is because he will not break and interrupt the establisht order of things upon every little occasion But when he does go besides the common course of Things in punishing the Reason ceaseth which hindred him before from making a Difference and 't is reasonable enough to expect that in the inflicting of a Miraculous Judgment a Miraculous Difference should be made Without making this difference the end of these Miraculous Judgments would not be attained which is remarkably to punish the crying Sins of Men and by that example to deter others from the like Sins But if these Judgments should fall
some Objections that may be made against it and then make some Vse of it I. What we are to understand by the Truth of God I shall take it as the Scripture useth it in a large Sense so as to include not only the veracity of God but his Faithfulness Hence it is that in Scripture Truth and Faithfulness are so often put together and frequently put one for another Isa 25.1 Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth Rev. 21.5 These words are true and faithful And the Faithfulness of God in performing his Promises is frequently call'd his Truth And because the Scripture useth them promiscuously we need not be very solicitous to find out distinct Notions of them but if you will they may be distinguisht thus the truth or veracity of God hath place in every Declaration of his Mind the Faithfulness of God only in his Promises For the First The veracity or truth of God this hath place in every Declaration of his Mind and signifies an exact Correspondence and Conformity between his Word and his Mind and consequently between his Word and the truth and reality of Things The Correspondence of his Word with his Mind depends upon the rectitude of his Will the conformity of his Word with the reality of Things not only upon the rectitude of his Will but the Perfection of his Knowledge and the infallibility of his Vnderstanding so that when we say God is true or speaks Truth we mean thus that his Words are a plain Declaration of his Mind and a true representation of Things in opposition to False-hood which is speaking otherwise than the thing is and Hypocrisie that is speaking otherwise than we think For instance when God declares any thing to be so or not to be so to have been thus or not to have been thus the thing really is so and he thinks so when he expresseth his desire of any thing he does really desire it when he commands any thing or forbids us any thing it is really his Mind and Will that we should do what he Commands and avoid what he forbids when he declares and foretels any thing future it really shall come to pass and he really intended it should if the Declaration be to be understood absolutely it shall absolutely come to pass if the Declaration be to be understood Conditionally it shall come to pass and he intends it shall if the Condition be performed Secondly The Faithfulness of God This only hath place in his Promises in which there is an Obligation of Justice superadded to his Word for God by his Promise doth not only declare what he intends and what shall be but confers a right upon them to whom the promise is made so as that the breach of his Promise would not only cast an imputation upon his Truth but upon his Justice II. That this Perfection belongs to God And this I shall endeavour to prove First From the Dictates of Natural Light Secondly From Scripture First From the Dictates of Natural Light Natural Light tells us that Truth and Faithfulness are Perfections and consequently belong to the Divine Nature and that False-hood and a Lie are Imperfections and to be removed from God There is nothing that is amongst Men esteemed a greater contumely and reproach than to give a Man the Lie to call him a Lyar because it is an Argument of so much baseness and of a low and mean and servile spirit the usual Temptation to it being fear of losing some Advantage or incurring some danger Hence was that saying that it is the property of a Slave to lie but of a free Man to speak truth Now whatever argues baseness or imperfection our Reason tells us is infinitely to be separated from the most Perfect Being God cannot be tempted with evil the Divine Nature being all-sufficient can have no temptation to be otherwise than Good and Just and True and Faithful Men are tempted to Lie by advantage and out of fear but the Divine Nature hath the security of its fullness and all-sufficiency that it cannot hope for any increase nor fear any impairment of its Estate Men are unfaithful and break their Words either because they are rash and inconsiderate in passing of them or forgetful in minding them or inconstant in keeping of them or impotent and unable to perform them but none of these are incident to God his infinite Wisdom and perfect Knowledge and clear foresight of all Events secure him both from inconsiderateness and inconstancy and forgetfulness and his infinite Power renders him able to perform what he hath spoken and to make good his Word And that these are the Natural Dictates and Suggestions of our Minds appears clearly from the reasonings of the Heathen in this matter who were destitute of Divine Revelation Plato de Repub. l. 2. lays down this as a certain Truth That lying and Falsehood are imperfections and odious to God and Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And afterwards he tells us That the Divine Nature is free from all Temptation hereto either from advantage or fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Concludes Therefore God is true and deals plainly with us both in his Words and Actions and is neither changed himself nor deceives us Porphyry in the Life of Pythagoras tells us That this was one of his Precepts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and afterwards he adds that Truth is so great a Perfection that if God would render himself visible to Men he would chuse Light for his body and Truth for his Soul Secondly From Scripture The Scripture doth very frequently attribute this to God 2 Sam. 7.28 And now O Lord God thou art that God and thy words be true Psal 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth Psal 31.5 Into thy hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Rev. 3.7 These things saith he that is holy he that is true Rev. 6.10 How long O Lord holy and true 15.3 Just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints 16.7 True and righteous are thy judgments Hither we may refer those Texts which speak of the Plenty and Abundance of God's truth Ex. 34.6 Abundant in goodness and truth Psal 86.15 Plenteous in mercy and truth and those which speak of the Duration and Eternity of it Psal 100.5 And his truth endureth to all generations 117.2 And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever 146.6 Who keepeth truth for ever As the Scripture doth attribute this Perfection to God so it removes the contrary from him with the greatest abhorrence and detestation Num. 23.19 God is not a Man that he should lie neither the son of Man that he should repent hath he said and shall not he do it hath he spoken and shall he not make it good They are Balaam's Words but God put them into his Mouth 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a Man that he should repent Rom.
is that he abode not in the truth and there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie 't is of his own for he is a lyar and the Father of it John 8.44 One of the first and most natural Notions that we have of Religion is that it is to imitate God and to endeavour to be like him so far as we are capable and to contradict any of the Divine Excellencies and Perfections is the highest Sin because it is against the clearest Dictates of our Mind and contrary to those Principles which are most deeply rooted in our Nature No Man can be Cruel and Unmerciful False and Treacherous without a very high degree of guilt because these Sins are contrary to the chiefest and most essential Perfections of God Lying is a Sin that would fly in the Face of an Heathen because it directly contradicts those Natural Notions which every Man hath of God and Religion therefore we find that there is hardly any thing that Men are more ashamed of than to be taken in a Lie and 't is esteemed the highest reproach to be charged with it it argues such a direct contrariety to that which is the Rule of Perfection the Nature of God and consequently so much imperfection and baseness He that tells a Lie out of fear is at once bold towards God and base towards Men. Upon these accounts God expresseth himself highly offended with those that practise Lying and False-hood and to have a detestation of them Pro. 12.22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. It renders us unlike to him Eph. 4.24 25. Put on the new Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness or in the Holiness of truth And from hence he infers Wherefore putting away lying speak every Man truth with his Neighbour for we are members one of another Col. 3.9.10 Lie not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old Man with his deeds And have put on the new Man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him that is because we profess to be conformed to the image of God More particularly we should charge our selves with truth and faithfulness towards God and Men. 1. Towards God in our Oaths and Vows and Covenants In our Oaths when we swear in any Matter we tell God that what we speak is Truth and invoke him to bear Witness to it To falsifie in an Oath is one of the most solemn affronts that we can put upon the God of Truth And so in our Vows which are a solemn Promise to God of such things in which we have no precedent Obligation lying upon us He that regardeth truth will neither be rash in making a Vow nor careless to perform it Eccles 5.4 When thou vowest a vow to God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in Fools Not to perform what we have vowed is an Argument of Folly either of rashness in the making of it or of inconstancy in not keeping it So likewise in all our Covenants with God to serve him and obey him and keep his Commandments we should strictly charge our selves with performance of these There is a Natural Obligation upon us to these Things from the very Law of our Creation tho' we should never solemnly make any such Promise nor enter into any such Engagements because it is a tacit Condition of our Beings but the taking of this Covenant solemnly upon us in Baptism strengthens the Obligation and makes our unfaithfulness the greater Sin All our hopes of Happiness are founded in the Faithfulness of God and if thou be false to him how canst thou expect he should be faithful to thee 'T is true indeed that he abides faithful he cannot deny himself but if thou hast any ingenuity in thee this should be an Argument to thee to be faithful to him I am sure this can be no Encouragement to thee to be unfaithful for if thou breakest the Covenant thou hast entred into and neglegctest the Conditions upon which God hath suspended the performance of his Promise thou dischargest the Obligation on his part 2. Towards Men we should charge our selves with Truth in all our Words and Faithfulness in all our Promises It becomes us who worship the God of truth to speak truth to use plainness and sincerity in all our Words to abhor Falsehood and Dissimulation and those more refined ways of lying by equivocation of Words and secret reservations of our Minds on purpose to deceive Those that plead for these 't is a sign they do not understand the Nature of God and of Religion which is to conform our selves to the Divine Perfections We meet with many complaints in the old Testament of the want of Truth and Faithfulness among Men Psal 12.1.2 Isa 59.13 14 15. Jer. 7.2 8 9.2.4 5 6. Hos 4.1 I am afraid there is as much Reason for this complaint now for we live in an Age of greater Light which doth reprove and make manifest this work of Darkness and methinks there is no sadder sign of the decay of Christianity and of the little power and influence that the Gospel hath upon us than that there is so little regard had by Christians to these Moral Duties which because Moral however Men may slight that Word are therefore of Eternal and Indispensable Obligation having their Foundation in the Nature of God To Conclude all That Man that can dispence with himself as to Moral Duties that makes no Conscience of telling a Lie or breaking his Word what Badge soever he may wear what Title soever he may call himself by it is as impossible that such a Man should be a true Christian as it is to reconcile the God of Truth and the Father of Lies SERMON XIII The Holiness of God 1 PET. I. 16 Be ye holy for I am holy IN speaking to this Attribute I shall I. Inquire what we are to understand by the Holiness of God II. Endeavour to shew that this Perfection belongs to God I. What we are to understand by the Holiness of God There is some difficulty in fixing the proper Notion of â—t for tho' there be no Property more frequently attributed to God in Scripâ—ure than this of Holiness yet there is none of all God's Attributes which Divines have spoken more sparingly of than this The general Notion of Holiness is that it is a separation from a common and ordinary to a peculiar and excellent use And this Notion of Holiness is applicable either to Things or Persons To Things thus the Vessels of the Tabernacle and the Vestments of the Priests were said to be holy because they were separated from common Use and appropriated to the peculiar and excellent use of the service of God Holiness oâ— Persons is two-fold either Relative and External which signifies the peculiar Relation of a Person to God such were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Priests or holy Men or else Habitual and Inherent such is
the Holiness of good Men. And it is a separation from moral imperfection that is from Sin and Impurity And this is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the primary Notion of iâ— is Negative and signifies the absence and remotion of Sin And this appears iâ— those explications which the Scripturâ— gives of it Thus 't is explain'd by opposition to Sin and Impurity 2 Cor 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from aâ—â— filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness where Holiness is opposed to all filthiness Sometimes by the negation of Sin and Defilement So we find holy and without blame put together Eph. 1.4 Holy and without blemish Eph. 5.27 Holy harmless and undefiled Heb. 7.26 'T is true indeed this Negative Notion doth imply something that is Positive it doth not only signifie the absence of Sin but a contrariety to it we cannot conceive the absence of Sin without the presence of Grace as take away crookedness from a Thing and it immediately becomes straight When ever we are made Holy every Lust and Corruption in us is supplanted by the contrary Grace Now this habitual Holiness of Persons which consists in a separation from Sin is a conformity to the Holiness of God and by this we may come to understand what Holiness in God is and it signifies the peculiar eminency of the Divine Nature whereby it is separated and removed at an infinite distance from moral Imperfection and that which we call Sin that is there is no such thing as Malice or Envy or Hatred or Revenge or Impatience or Cruelty or Tyranny or Injustice or False-hood or Unfaithfulness in God or if there be any other Thing that signifies Sin and Vice and moral Imperfection Holiness signifies that the Divine Nature is at an infinite distance from all these and possest of the contrary Perfections Therefore all those Texts that remove Moral Imperfection from God and declare the repugnancy of it to the Divine Nature do set forth the Holiness of God Jam. 1.13 God cannot be tempted with evil Job 8.3 Doth God pervert Judgment or doth the Almighty pervert Justice Job 34.10 12. Far be it from God that he should do wickedness and from the Almighty that he should commit iniquity Yea surely God will not do wickedly neither will the Almighty pervert judgment Rom. 9.14 Is there then unrighteousness with God God forbid Zeph. 3.5 The just Lord is in the midst thereof he will not do iniquity And so false-hood and unfaithfulness and inconstancy Deut. 32.4 A God of truth and without iniquity 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lie Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie Therefore you shall find that Holiness is joyned with all the Moral Perfections of the Divine Nature or put for them Hos 11.9 I am the holy one in the midst of thee that is the merciful one Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Rom. 7.12 The commandment is holy and just and good Rev. 3.7 These things saith he that is holy he that is true Rev. 6.10 How long O Lord holy and true Psal 105.42 He remembred his holy promise holy that is in respect of the faithfulness of it Isa 55.3 The sure mercies of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy mercies of David which will not fail So that the Holiness of God is not a particular but an universal Perfection and runs through all the moral Perfections of the Divine Nature 't is the Beauty of the Divine Nature and the Perfection of all his other Perfections Take away this and you bring an universal stain and blemish upon the Divine Nature without Holiness Power would be Oppression and Wisdom Subtilty and Soveraignty Tyranny and Goodness Malice and Envy and Justice Cruelty and Mercy Foolish Pity and Truth False-hood And therefore the Scripture speaks of this as God's highest Excellency and Perfection God is said to be glorious in Holiness Ex. 15.11 Holiness is call'd God's throne Psal 47.8 He sitteth upon the throne of his holiness This is that which makes Heaven Isa 63.15 It is called The habitation of his holiness and of his glory as if this were the very Nature of God and the sum of his Perfections The Knowledge of God is called the Knowledge of the holy one Pro. 9.10 To be made partakers of a Divine Nature and to be made partakers of God's holiness are equivalent Expressions 2 Pet. 3.4 Heb. 12.10 And because there is no Perfection of God greater therefore he is represented as swearing by this Psal 60.6 God hath spoken in his holiness Psal 89.35 Once have I sworn by my holiness The Angels and glorified Spirits they sum up the Perfections of God in this Isa 6.3 And one cryed unto another and said holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory Rev. 4.8 And they rest not day and night saying holy holy holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come There is no Attribute of God so often repeated as this in some Copies it is nine times II. I shall endeavour to prove that this Perfection belongs to God First From the Light of Nature The Philosophers in all their Discourses of God agree in this that whatever sounds like Vice and Imperfection is to be separated from the Divine Nature which is to acknowledge his Holiness Plato speaking of our likeness to God saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 4.9 King Nebuchadnezzar calls God by this Title I know that the spirit of the holy Gods is in thee In a Word whatever hath been produced to prove any of God's Moral Perfections proves his Holiness Secondly From Scripture There is no Title more frequently given to God in Scripture and so often ingeminated as this of his Holiness He is called Holiness it self Isa 63.15 Where Heaven is call'd the habitation of his Holiness that is of God His Name is said to be Holy Luke 1.49 And holy is his name He is called the holy one Isa 40.25 The holy one of Israel Isa 41.20 The holy one of Jacob. 49.23 He is said to be holy in all his Works and Promises Psal 105.42 In all his ways and works Psal 145.17 This Title is given to each of the three Persons in the Blessed Trinity To God the Father in innumerable Places To God the Son Dan. 9.24 To anoint the most holy The Devil cannot deny him this Title Luke 4.34 I know thee who thou art the holy one of God And the Spirit of God hath this Title constantly given it the holy Ghost or the holy Spirit or the Spirit of Holiness The Scripture attributes this Perfection in a peculiar manner to God 1 Sam. 2.2 There is none holy as the Lord. Rev. 15.4 For thou only art holy Holiness is a communicable Perfection but no Creature can