highest perfection which a Creatures utmost capacity can take in it s most soaring ambition can hope for Now though either of these reasonings be cogent enough yet the latter seems best to fit the context and to fall in with the words That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he makes his Sun to rise on the evill and on the good c. Be ye therefore perfect c. As to the importance and sence of the words as they lye intire in themselves they contain in them 1st An insinuation that the universall Love which every way demonstrates it selfe to be in God is the chief Perfection of that God who is every way perfect 2ly An exhortation unto a great duty with motives to induce to it and directions to guide us in it The duty exhorted to is to be perfect that is to Endeavour after perfection for that is our work but to Make us perfect is God's the motive to perswade to this duty is because God is perfect and by coming to be perfect we shall come to be like him And this will both Become us for its a seemely thing for Children to resâ—mble their Father and it will Advantage us also for certainly what is the Perfection of the Father in Heaven can be no Diminution to the Children on Earth The direction to guide in the practise of this duty is in our pursuit after perfection to take heed we be not deceived with the name without the thing and that we may not be deceived here to keep continually in our eye the perfection of God as the Star to stear by Doct. 1st Vniversal Love is the Chiefe perfection of God himselfe Christ when he has once averred that God makes his Sun to Rise on the evil and on the good c. makes account that he has fully demonstrated God to be perfect and there needs no further proof of this therefore in stead of proving the point he applyes it and bids them be perfect as God is Now Christ discourse would not be coherent vnless we did Suppose that Gods being so good as to serve both good and bad with his Sun and raine was all one with his being perfect There are indeed in God other excellencyes there is his Wisdome wherby he understands all persons and affaires thoroughly and knowes how to overrule them so as to make them serue his owne ends Yea even then when they most desire designe and endeavour to oppose them There is his power whereby he is able compleatly to effect whatever he intends without the least help of the creature in spite of all opposition which can possibly be made either by the whole World or Hell or both vnited There is his Iustice which makes him to detest all violations of right by whom soever so that he will neither do wrong himselfe nor suffer others to do it if by any ways where it is fit and honourable for him to interpose he can prevent it And if by his commands and threats he connot restraine Sin he will by his Severityes against the Sinner declare that he does not at all approve of it And all these excellencies are in God in their perfection Gods Wisdome is without the least allay of folly though it s obserued that there are few great wits in the world but they have some flaw in them betraying them to imbrace some odd oppinions which scarce any in their wits can look upon as the least probable Gods power is not capable of either being resisted with open force or evaded by Subtle practics or wearied by tedious and toylsome exercise of it for it is all act and every way infinite Gods Justice holds an even ballance and inclines neither to the rigour of Severity nor to the loosness of lenity it wholy overlookes persons and only considers causes to render to every man according to his deeds without respect of persons Romans 2 6. 11. Every thing is then in its highest degree where it is most essential Thus heat in fire is more Vehement then in Water because in fire it is essential being agreeable unto that essence from which it flowes and finding nothing within to give the least check unto it but in water it is accidentall it com's from without and meets with some thing within which is continually opposing it Now all these excellencies as they are originally in God and derived from him into the creatures like streames which Jssue from the fountaine so they are essentially in God flowing immediately and necessarily from his very nature and therefore they are all infinite and consequently perfect like this Thirdly these are perfections in God for he would not be a God that is a being every way the best if he wanted any of these excellencyes or had them not all in the highest degree For the proper notion of a God is such a being as necessarily comprehends in it all kinds and degrees of excellencys Yet of all exellencyes which are in God if we may be allowed to compare one infinite thing with another and where every thing is the best in its kind to give a preference to one before another God's Love and goodness is the Cheifest Now these in God are Vniversall not limited to times places or persons But are extended to eternity diffusing themselves over the whole Vniverse Heaven Earth I had allmost said Hell too For First They are Naturall to God and Act according to the manner of Naturall Agents necessatily not Arbitrarly it being naturall unto fire to make hott wherever it be it must diffuse heat though possibly it may meet with many bodys which will not receive and take in the heat which is brought unto them Love is not in God as its subject but it is in God as his very nature therefore God must be always Loving because He is Love its selfe ' 1. John 4. 16. And so may as easily cease to be God as cease to love Indeed when Scripture saith I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy Rom. 9. 15. Some might hence conclude that God letts out his Love Arbitrarily So that he might keep it in if he pleased And its true he might do so if he could be pleased to do so But he cannot there is such a perfect harmony betwixt his will and nature that what ever his nature is inclined to his will is satisfied in And where the inclinations of his nature the dictates of his Judgment and the choice of his will concur nothing shall hinder the workings of mercy towards that person And therefore where God will have mercy the poor Sinner shall find mercy 2dly They are infinite in God Indeed all Gods attributes must of necessity be infinite because he has them of himselfe and its contrary to the nature of every being to set bounds unto its owne excellencyes nothing therefore has finite excellencies but what has its being from another who both made it and Limited it gave it
Chosen Rom. 8. 30. Whoever are chosen of God are chosen to Salvation is as Evident for this is the End which God designes to advance to when he culls out such from the World as he Judges fit for his purpose 2. Thes 2. 13. God has from the begining chosen you to Salvation c. That whoever fall away from grace must Assuredly miss of Salvation is evident to all who understand and Consider 1st What those who are saved are mainly saved from and this is their lusts and Sins Mat. 1. 21. He shall save his People from their sins and this they cannot be if they fall away from Grace 2ly What they are mainly saved to or for and that is Glory Now those who have lost grace are incapable of glory grace differing not at all from glory but in degres grace is but glory in its Infancy and glory is but grace in its full Growth Now that those who are Elected by God unto Salvation cannot miss of it is Evident whether we consider Scripture or Reason Scripture saith it s not possible for the Elect to be 〈◊〉 i. e. Into such Errours or sins wherby they may miss Salvation St. Mat. 24. 24. In so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Whoever are Blinded so as to miss Salvation the Election Obtains it i. e Those who are Elected by Vertue of their Election Rom. 11. 7. And reason shewes that whoever are Chosen by God unto Salvation must certainly attain it unless God want either Power Effectually to pursue his purpose till he have brought it about or will to do what he is able neither of which can be supposed granting but that which none can with any shew of reason deny that God is Omnipotent on the one hand and all Wise on the other If he be Almighty he can Effect whatever he has a mind to bring about and if he be all Wise he can never alter from what he purposes The only reason why men change and give over pursuing what once they intended when still it is in their power so to pursue it as to attain it is because they are now of another mind then once they were and that because they find Inconveniencies now which formerly they never thought of but this is their Foolishness which is not to be supposed in the all wise God who perfectly discernes whatever might be like to induce him to wave his Choice before he makes it 3ly Those who are thus united unto Christ are such as are Aprehended by Christ for some end and will not be let go by Christ till that end be attained As St. Paul was Apprehended by Christ so are all that are in Christ Phil. 3. 12. As our first Vnion unto Christ Christ takes hold of us by the hand of his Spirit and we take hold of him by the hand of our faith Now that which Christ takes hold of us for is to bring us unto that which a Christian by his Inclination is Carried out to reach after I follow after that I may Apprehend that for which also I am Apprehended c. Now there is no attaining this which is Holiness and Righteousness in their Perfection with the peace Joy and Glory which is the Necessary result of these without holding fast grace and holding on in good works in Obedience patience and Self-denyall Now they being in Christs hand to be brought unto this end unless Christ want either power to keep them in his hand or power while he do's keep them in his hand to bring them unto that Salvation he designes them for how can those miss Eternall Life of whom Christ saith I give unto them Eternall Life John 10. 28. Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1. Pet. 1. 5. They are come unto Christ got into his hand and such Christ will not Cast out John 6. 36. It is his Fathers will he should Lose none of them Ver. 39. While he was on earth he kept those God gave him John 17 12. Those that thou gavest me I have â—ept c. 4ly Those who are thus united unto Christ are such as have a Love to God and Christ and Christ has a Love to them now such no Temptations can Separate it is Christs Love to them that makes him Joyn himself to them it is their love to Christ which makes them Close with him Now these Christ will always love for his love is an Everlasting Love Jere. 31. 3. Whom he loves he loves to the End John 13. 1. And this love of Christ Engages his Wisdome and Power for their Protection and no Temptations be they never so great are able to prevail against these Rom. 8. 35. 39. God will not Suffer them to be Tempted above what they are able c. 1. Cor. 10. 13. These by God's help shall never overcome them so far as to make them willing to leave Christ and Christ will not leave them though they should be willing to leave him much less when they are not 5ly They are Sealed by the Spirit unto Salvation 2. Cor. 1. Who hath also Sealed us Ye are Sealed with the holy Spirit of promiss which is the Earnest c. Greive not the holy Spirit of God God by giving them his Spirit do's that to them which men do by setting to their Seals or by giving Earnest they do confirm the bargain and make sure the performance of it So that hereby God's truth and faithfulness is engaged to make good the Salvation which he by the Seal and earnest has Obliged himself unto which he cannot do without keeping them from Totall and finall Apostasy 1. Thes 5. 24. Faithfull is he who has called you 1. Cor. 1. 8. 9. Who shall confirm you unto the End c. God is faithfull by whom ye were called 6ly Uniting a Soul unto Christ as to its Foundation is Gods work which he begins with a design to Compleat for this is an Imperfect work in its self the laying of a Foundation is good to nothing unless their follow a Building on the Foundation and a perfecting the Building you shall not meet with any man who is in his Wits that lets his work rest Immediately after he has laid the Foundation unless he be diverted by more urgent Business or hindred by downright Violence as the Jewes were in the Building of the Temple Now this being God's work he 'le perfect as well as begin it For all God's works are perfect Deut. 32. 4. He leaves them not half done This made St. Paul Confident of the Philippians doing well Phil. 1. 6. God had begun and he could not Believe but he would go on 7ly For all such as are Vnited to Christ Christ did pray on Earth and still Intercedes in Heaven What he prayed for Peter he presses God for all that their Faith may not fail however Satan be let out to Tempt them Luke 22. 32. He prays that God would Keep them from
its being and its bounds Now if Gods Love and goodness be Infinite they must be Universall because what is Infinite is as great as great can be and can have nothing greater then its self but a love and goodness which do extend to all are certainly greater then these which extend only to some few Objection But if God's Love and goodness be Universall then it must needs work towards all and if it do so then all must be benefited by it Answer 1st It s true all are benefited by it for from this love of God all receive their being and Life the conveniencies and comforts of this life more or less the meanes whereby they may be advanced to and assured of a better whatever hearts they have to make use of these means whatever Wisdom and grace and comfort any receive in the consciencious use of these means 2dly That some are not more advantaged by this Love and Goodness it is not because this Love and Goodness is a wanting to them but they are a wanting to it and their own intrests For men are not capable of the highest Communications of love and goodness till first they be fitted for them and the fitting for these being a work of Common grace is carried on by such a power in such a way as is resistible for though a Man cannot quicken and save himself yet without doubt he having free Will enough to do evill he may destroy and ruine himself he may Resist that grace which he is obliged and concerned to follow and which if he did follow so far as he may and ought it would lead him to an higher degree of grace which would lead him unto happiness Object If God love all then he must hate none yet the Scripture Declares that he hates some The covetous the Lord abhors Ps 10. 3. The wicked and him that loves Violence his Soul hates Psl 11. 5. Answ God while he hates and threatens and punishes them still loves them he loves the Person whilest he detests the vice he loves them as they are his creatures as they continue what he has made them and hates them onely as they have marred themselves and indeed it is Gods love to them which makes him hate them for he onely hates them as they are enemies to themselves as well as him and all Gods threatenings and punishments unto the worst of men during this life have a naturall Subserviency to reclaim them from those principles and practises which are opposite unto their interests and distructive unto their Souls God by his Judgments endeavours to imbitter unto them all Sinfull habitts and acts that hereby he may cause them to cast them off with detestation saying get ye hence If any thing take men off from the pleasure of Sin it must be feeling the Smart which it occasions And this Universall love and goodness is in God one of his Cheif perfections we may well count it so when the wise God who knowes how to set a due estimate upon every excellency does give the precedency to this Hence 1st He delights most in it now every one delights most in that which best suits him and he apprehends most good in If therefore the all-knowing God be not mistaken in his apprehensions that must have the greatest goodness in it the enjoyment whereof excites in him the highest pleasure Now its goodness and the exercise of it that God most delights in and he proclaims it to all that he is for this I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness c. For in these things I delight Jer. 9. 24. As if he should Say If I have any delight at all and sure we cannot suppose the ever blessed God to be without that wherein the main of a Christians happiness does consist it is in such things This is a noble pleasure which doth not the least unbecome him who is accomplished with the highest excellencies Mic. 7. 18. He delights in mercy mercy is but this love of God exercised towards a sinfull miserable creature and God delights in mercy as every thing delights in doing that which is most agreeable to its inclinations which it is most used to and does with the greatest ease with the least reluctancy what it is every way the most perfect in 2dly He glories most of it and truely he is but of a very weak Judgment who being endowed with many excellencies pitches upon one of the meanest and lowest to make his boast of and prizes himself most for that which is of the least worth When Moses had a great desire to see Gods glory and God was willing to comply with him in this desire he onely tels him I le make all my goodness pass before thee Exod. 33. 19 And God who best knew his own excellencies and the true value of each when he had a mind to display them in their greatest lustre and to become his own Herald in setting forth his most glorious titles insists upon those most which speaks love and goodness under their different habitudes and opperations Exod. 34. 6. The Lord God merciful and gracious longsuffering and abundent in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving c. As Musitians meeting with a pleasant note discant and quaver most on that 3dly He is most exercised in it Love and goodness runs through all Gods providences which are but a texture of Goodness Wisdom and Power But that which makes up most of the providence and is most conspicuous in it is goodness wheras the wisdom of it is not descernable but by a peircing eye and upon a close veiw Men are most exercised in that which either they take most pleasure in it best agreeing with their inclinations or they expect most glory from it serving to display their cheif excellency Now certainly what the most perfect being takes greatest pleasure in must have in it the highest perfection what the most wise being Judges matter of the highest Glory sure has the greatest worth in it All the paths as well as wayes of the Lord are mercy and truth Ps 25. 10. The Church takes notice of nothing so much in all Gods providences about her as his mercy and goodness Ps 136. 1. 26. He is good his mercy endures for ever She thought that whatever else there was in providence there was enough of this she thought also she could give no higher commendations unto providence then to say their was much of mercy in it View but all Gods works from the begining to the end his work of Creation Conservasion Gubernation Redemption Sanctification Glorification some of which all men are concerned in and better for and you shall find a continued vein of goodness run through all 4thly He does most concerne himself to promote this in the world Now every thing dos most endeavour to communicate that which it most excells in thus the fire diffuses its heat the Sun disperses its light every thing by generation multiplys its owne peculiar
nature And observe God and you shall find that it is not so much modes and fashions of Religion as love and goodness which God most stands upon These are the essentiall parts of Religion and the immutable parts others as they are accidentall so they are various Love is the summ of the Law Mat. 22. 39 40. Rom. 13. 9 10. owe no Man any thing c. Ye have the vast body of the Law epitomized here Thus Chymists can reduce the vertues of Herbs and Mineralls into a very little roome drawing of the Essences and Spirits and leaving the gross matter behind Love is the end of the law The end of the law is Charity 1. Tim. 1. 5. This is that which the Law aimes to bring Men too and when it has once brought Men to this it has done its work Love is the great designe of ordinances what Christ most prayes for That they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Joh. 17. 21. What the Ministers of Christ should most preach up Phil. 2. 1. 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love c. And indeed the main edification is in love Ephe. 4. 16. Unto the edifying it self in love It s also the great designe of providences Does God carry lovingly to his people it is to teach them to love one another Love one another as I have loved you Joh. 15. 12. Does he carry angrily towards them he does but whip them round to make them kiss one another falls out with them all that he may make them agree better among themselves If ye ask what peculiar excellency there is in love which gives it the preheminence to all other attributes Answer 1st It perfects that in God which is the Cheif faculty in him In every rationall being there are three Facultys the Appetitive Faculty the will which carries out to desire what is agreeable to its nature The Directive Faculty the vnderstanding which both discouer the object which is desirable and propounds to the Choice the various methods and means whereby the good desired may be attained And the executive faculty which wants a peculiar name whereby the methods and means pitcht upon by Choice are applied for the attaining the good desired Now of these three facultyes the appetitive is the Chief it being the Spring unto the other two to set them upon motion and keeping a hand over them so as to restrain them when it pleases the Will fits as Queen having the understanding besides it for its Councellour the executive faculty below it for its Minister to act Accordingly whereas there are three habits to perfect these three facultys that which perfecteth the Cheif must be the Cheif of them and consequently love which perfects the Will must have the preheminence of wisdom which perfects the understanding and of Power which perfects the Motive faculty Now though in God by reason of the purity and simplicity of the Divine nature we cannot so properly distinguish these faculties yet being found in the Choicest Creatures and being acknowledged excellencyes in them they cannot be wanting in God himself but must be in him though in a more eminent manner 2dly It most Clearly distinguishes God from all other beings every thing is distinguished from all other things by that which is its Choicest perfection Thus it being the Cheif excellency of man that he is able to take a view of Severall things at once and to compare one thing with another and from principles evident in themselves to deduce conclusions which are more obscure hence he is distinguished from all bruits by this one thing that he is a rationall creature Thus Love being the Cheif perfection of God he is distinguished from all other things by this that he is Love the best that can be said of any other being is that it has love And as God is the most excellent being in the world so the Devil is the basest and the main thing wherein God dos most evidently differ from the Devill is not either wisdom or power for the Devil has a great deal of both these though its true they are but finite in him whereas they are infinite in God but its love and goodness for there is not the least of these in the Divell and the very want of these makes him a Divell were he not so full of malice and naughtiness as he is so imutably Settled in these as he is he would not be what he is a Devill Nay should it be granted what some of Old have strongly fancyed though against all reason that there were two infinite beings the one good the other bad the bad would have all other perfections besides goodness equal unto the good and for want of this one perfection it being the main it would not be God for God and the Cheife good are all one 3dly It has the Soveraigne command of all other excellencies in God There is nothing but what is excellent in God and no excellency in him but what is either a part of his goodness or a Servant to it Gods pitty is but goodness to those in misery his mercy is but his goodness to those that are Sinfull as well as miserable Nay Gods Justice which Seemes most opposite to his goodness is but goodness exerting it selfe with vehemency and indignation against that in men and Devils which most hinders goodness from Communicating it selfe As for Gods Wisdome and power these attend on goodness to execute its commands Wisdome has no other work then to contrive the readiest way to do the most good and power is wholy imployed in removing those obstacles which hinder the doing of good That therefore which do's most sway with God in all his actings and has so great an influence upon all his attributes to point them what way to steer must needs be a very eminent perfection in God 4thly The displaying of love and goodness do's most tend to the glorifing of God I know not whether this do more prove love and goodness to be the prime perfectoon of God or demonstrate why it so Absolute Supermacy how highly soever it may be prized by foolish and proud men yet God do's not look upon it as becoming himself and therefore though he may pretend to it as Justly as any else yet he Counts it not worth his Claim When he is Challenged for unrighteousness by vnreasonable persons he alleadges not that he being the greatest in the world may do what ever he list without Controul or without giving account but he pleads his own cause and submits his providences to the severest censure of those who have reason and will Judge indifferently Exek 18. 25. He accounts it a far greater honour to be reputed a gracous King then a great tyrant Wisdom though it pass among men for a very choice excellency as indeed it is The excellency of a Man as a Man that
wherin he does greatly transcend brutes yet 〈◊〉 it be seperated from goodness it is a most mischeiuous thing and though fool be looked upon as a great reproach rendering a man very contemptable as good to little yet knave is a greater reproach rendering a man odious for it represents him as a dangerous person And of all knaves the subtil knaue is looked upon as the worst Power is a thing which many are very ambitions of for they think its a brave thing for any to be in a capacity to do what ever they have a mind none being able to oppose them but certainly if a mighty man be not a good man too he may be feared as Devils are in some places and tyrants every where but he shall never be intirely Loved and Cordially honoured The onely thing therefore that does discover how excellent a being God is how amiable and honourable he is that setts forth his glory unto the life and represents him in such a way that every one is ready to love him adore him admire him every one according to the Principle they are acted by such as are truely gracious in a gracious way and such as are still in their naturall estate according to the inclinations of naturall ingenuity the dictates of naturall Consciences I say the only thing which does make the most lovely representation of God is his carring on things so that it may evidently appear that he has no designe upon any and that he does hearâ—â—ly seek the good of all so far as he may without doing otherwise then is fitting 1. Vse For information 1st If God be a God of so universall love and goodness then certainly none can Perish utterly irrecouerably everlastingly if he can prevent it It s true God is so absolute in his supremacy that he might do whatever pleases him without being in danger of being called to account by any he is so mighty in his Power that he might do any thing which can be done for the salvation of Souls he is so reaching in his Wisdome that if any advantage Offers it selfe for the reclaiming any from their lusts and Sins he can seasonably sett in with it for the improving it to the utmost And yet it must be acknowledged that some are ruined beyond all hope and help and will be ruined and God does not hinder not because he will not for were this the reason certainly he would not be a God of that infinite love and goodness which he is taken to be But because he cannot and yet this impotency of God proceeds not from his weakness that he is not able to do what is necessary to be done But from his excellency that he cannot be willing to do any thing which is not Fitting to be done which is contrary to the rules of prudence Justice and honour For it is a thing altogether Vnreasonable that people should be dragged into Heaven whether they will or no when they dispise all the glories of it disgust all the joyes of it neglect all the means which may bring them thither resists and stifle all the importunate Perswasions which the influences of the Spirit the Power of ordinances and providences press them with It is very certain and will be found so at the Great day whatever men fondly conceit in this their day whilest they make things Just as they would have them that none do Perish but through their owne gross and strange negligence though none be Saved without the infinite mercyes and Almighty power of God 2ly Then surely animosities and quarrelings and persecutions can never please God lett them be carried on under what pretence soever for what is so diametrically opposite to his very nature can never be gratefull to his will Nay to pretend Religion for that which is so extremly contrary unto the nature and designe of Religion is an abomination in his sight I do not reflect here upon any partyes upon account of their different opinions and different practises in ways of Religion for I am of that mind that unless men wink and Suffer themselves to be led blind-fold by one who sees no further then his brethren no better if so well there will be variety of Judgments and wayes But what need 's this alienate affections Why should this fill with Jealousies and aniâ—osities one against another Why should this whet tongues And why should this fill hands with Swords and Clubs and fagots Can such practises as these be acceptable to that God who is the God of love and peace Can these promote the end of that Religion whose precepts promises examples does aime all at love and Charity There is one Religion which has the inpudence to Condemn all Religions besides its selfe and for the most part finds the same measure that it metes out to others being condemned by all others and one of the maine things which she is Justly blamed for is that vncharitableness she shewes to all but her self wherein she is too much followed by the most that Seperate from her But let Religions pretend never so speciously so long as the true Nature of God is understood which is love and goodness so long as the main designe of Religion is understood which is to advance men unto that frame of Spirit which is most conspicuous in God that Religion will never be imbraced which ownes any thing contrary unto true love and goodness And certainly there is little love shewed unto those persons who suppose they be in an errour are forthwith sent to Hell to carry their errour with them And as little love to others who possibly by crueltyes may be terifyed but will never be Convinced 2. Vse For consolation to all those who are really interested in God If God have such a love as extends to all that are not only Strangers but enemies what love must he have for those who are intimate friends his Children if he has Love for those who are like the Devil how great love must he have for those who are like himself that Vniversall love which God beares to all if rightly understood is so far from distroying or undermining his peculiar love to his chosen and Choice ones that nothing can possibly be sound more conducing to establish it St. Matthew 5. 48. Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect HAVING dispatched the insinuation viz. that Vniversall love is the perfection of God himself who is every way the most Perfect being I come now to the exhortation which consists of 1st A duty exhorted see to be Perfect that is to do what in us lies to be so 2ly A motive to induce unto a consciencious setting about the discharge of this duty God is Perfect and therefore we should endeavour to be so too 3dly A direction to guid us in our endeavour after perfection that we may not be deceived and take up with a false perfection in stead of a true Let us rightly understand