the same and thy years fail not Mat. 3.6 I am the Lord and change not Hence it is that the Title of the living God is so frequently attributed to him and he swears by this as denoting not only his eternity but his unchangeableness As I live saith the Lord. Hither likewise we may refer those Texts where he is call'd the incorruptible God Rom. 1.23 The immortal King 1 Tim. 1.17 and is said only to have immortality 1 Tim. 1.16 And he is immutable likewise in his perfections hence it is so often said in the Psalms that his goodness and his mercy endure for ever his righteousness likewise is said to endure for ever Psal 111.3 and Psal 36.6 To be like the great Mountains not only visible and conspicuous but firm and immoveable and the same likewise is said of his truth and faithfulness Psal 117.2 His truth endureth for ever and of his power Esa· 26.4 In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength And so likewise in his Decrees and Purposes and Promises Psal 33.11 The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations Esa 14.24 Surely as I have thought so shall it come to pass and as I have purposed so shall it stand Numb 23.19 God is not a Man that he should lie or as the Son of Man that he should repent hath he spoken and shall not he do it hath he said it and shall not he bring it to pass If he hath made any promise or entred into any Covenant with us it is firm and immutable Psal 89.33 He will not suffer his faithfulness to fail his covenant will he not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips His Covenant and his Promise are in themselves immutable but for our further assurance God hath given us his Oath the highest sign of Immutability so the Apostle to the Hebrews tells us chap. 6.18 That by two immutable things viz his Promise and his Oath in which it is impossible for God to lie we might have strong consolation who are fled for refuge to the hope which is set before us I proceed to the III. Thing I proposed which is to answer an Objection which may seem to lie against what hath been said from the mention so often made in Scripture of God's repenting himself as Gen. 6.6 where it is said that it repented God that he had made Man 1 Sam. 15.11 That he repented that he had made Saul King and 2 Sam. 24.16 When the Angel had stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it it is said that the Lord repented him of the evil and Psal 135.14 the Lord saith there that he will repent himself concerning his servants To all which I answer That this expression of God's repenting we are to understand as many others in Scripture after the manner of Men and as spoken by way of Condescention and Accommodation to our Weakness and Capacity and not as casting any imputation of Mutability and Inconstancy upon God as if out of levity or for want of foresight he did alter his Mind but when God is said to repent that he made Man or that he made Saul King the change was not in him but them and it signifies not that God was absolutely deceived in his expectation but that things had fallen out contrary to all reasonable Expectation and therefore the Scripture cloaths God with the Humane Passion of repenting and grieving for what he had done as Men use to do when they are greatly disappointed and fall short of their Expectation And as for the other instances wherein God is said to repent him of evils threatned the expression only signifies thus much that God doth not execute that which seemed to us to have been his peremptory purpose and resolution that is he is pleased to do otherwise than his threatning seemed openly to express because of some tacit Condition implyed in it which he did not think fit to acquaint us with And this doth not at all derogate from the constancy and immutability of God for when God did threaten he spake what he did really purpose and intend if something did not intervene to prevent the Judgment threatned upon which he was resolved at that time when he threatned to be taken off and to stay his Hand and in thus doing God doth not mutare consilium sed sententiam He doth not change his inward Counsel and Purpose but takes off the sentence which was past with reserved conditions and unknown to us on purpose to urge us the more effectually to Repentance And that God usually reserves such Conditions not only in his Threatnings but sometimes also in his Promises appears from that remarkable Text Jer. 18.7 8 9 10. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from the evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to build and to plant it if it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voice then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them And from this very Consideration the same Prophet encourageth the People to repenpentance Jer. 26.13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings and obey the voice of the Lord your God and the Lord will repent him of the evil he hath pronounced against you And we have a famous instance of this in the case of Niniveh the destruction whereof within forty days after God had openly proclaimed by his Prophet yet he stops the Execution of the Sentence upon their Repentance Jonah 3.10 The Men of Niniveh turned from their evil ways and the Lord repented of the evil he said he would do unto them and he did it not All that now remains is to apply this Doctrine of the immutability of the Divine Nature to our selves and the Consideration of it may serve to several good Purposes both in reference to bad and good Men. First In regard to sinners and wicked Men. And 1 st The unchangeableness of God is matter of great terrour to wicked Men. Let but the sinner consider what God is and the consideration of his unchangeable nature must need terrifie him He is a holy God and of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Hab. 1.12 He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with him the foolish shall not stand in his sight he hateth all the workers of iniquity Psal 5.4 5. He is likewise a just God and will by no means clear the guilty nor let sin go unpunisht Exod. 34.7 He is also omnipotent and able to execute the vengeance threatned against Sinners Who knoweth the power of thine anger Psal 90.11 Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once
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.
admit such a Knowledge in God as seems contradictious and impossible to our Reason why may we not allow and frame such Notions of his Goodness and Justice To this I answer There is a great difference between those Perfections of God which are imitable and those which are not Knowledge of future Events is a Perfection wherein we are not bound to be like God and if we are assured of the thing that he doth know them it is not necessary that we should know the manner of it and dis-intangle it from contradiction and impossibility but it is otherwise in God's Goodness and Justice which are imitable he that imitates endeavours to be like something that he knows and we must have a clear Idea and Notion of that which we would bring our selves to the likeness of these Perfections of God we are capable of knowing and therefore the Knowledge of these Perfections is chiefly recommended to us in Scripture Jer. 9.24 By these God reveals himself and declares his Name and makes himself known to us even by those Attributes which declare his Goodness and Mercy and Justice Exod. 34.6 7. Psal 86.15 Deut. 32.3 4 5. When God would give a Description of himself to Moses he promises to cause his goodness to pass before him So that it doth not follow that because God's Knowledge of future Events is to be admitted notwithstanding the seeming contradiction and impossibility of it therefore we are to admit of any Notion of God's Justice or Goodness that seems contradictious or impossible The Third Objection is made up of several inconveniencies that would follow from God's Knowledge of future Events 1. It would Prejudice the Liberty of the Creature For if God have an infallible Knowledge of what we will do then we cannot but do what he infallibly foresees we will do for otherwise his Knowledge would be fallible Answer God's-Fore-knowledge lays no necessity upon the Event In every Event we may consider the Effect in it self or with relation to the Cause and the manner how it comes to pass consider'd in it self it is future with relation to its Causes it is contingent God sees it as both and so as that which till it is may be or not be and when it comes to pass he sees the Man do it freely and so before it be done it hath no necessity but upon supposition of fore-sight as when it is it hath upon supposition that it is as Origen excellently explains it Fore-knowledge is not the cause of the things that are fore-known but because the thing is future and shall be this is the Reason why it is fore-known for it doth not because it was known come to pass but because it was to come to pass therefore it was fore-known and bare Knowledge is no more the Cause of any Event which because it is known must infallibly be than my seeing a Man run is the Cause of his running which because I do see is infallibly so 2 ly If God infallibly fore-knows what Men will do how can he be serious in his Exhortations to Repentance in his Expectation of it and his grieving for the Impenitency of Men Answer All these are founded in the liberty of our Actions God exhorts to Repentance and expects it because by his Grace we may do it he is said to grieve for our Impenitency because we may do otherwise and will not Exhortations are not vain in themselves but very proper to their end tho' through our obstinacy and hardness they may be rendred vain to us and without effect If the weight of the Objection lie upon serious and you ask how God can exhort Men seriously to that which he fore-sees that they will not do those whom he fore-knows will be finally impenitent I answer if his Exhortations were not serious he could not foresee the final impenitency of Men. To foresee Mens final impenitency is to foresee their willful contempt of Gods Warnings and Exhortations and Rejection of his Grace now Mens willful contempt of his Warnings and Exhortations cannot be foreseen unless God foresee that his Exhortations are serious and in good earnest Having answer'd the Objections against God's fore-knowing future Events I proceed to shew II. That God only knows future Events Isa 44.6 7. Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts I am the first and I am the last and besides me there is no God and who as I shall call and shall declare it and set it in order for me since I appointed the ancient People and the things that are coming and shall come let them shew unto them Isa 46.9 10. Remember the former things of old for I am God and there is none else I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure The Reason is evident because the Knowledge of future Events is beyond the reach of any finite understanding especially if we grant it to be beyond our finite understanding to explain the possibility of such a Knowledge for to be sure that is out of the reach of our Knowledge which we cannot so much as understand how it is possible it should be known by any Understanding But it may here be Objected Did not the Oracles among the Heathens foretel several things which Christians are satisfied came from the Devil I have no time at present to examine the business of Heathen Oracles I could easily shew there was much imposture in them but grant they were really delivered and given out by a Spirit yet the darkness and ambiguity the affected and contrived ambiguity is such as shews that the Devil was conscious to himself of the uncertainty of his Knowledge in those matters and those few that came to pass and are in any tolerable Sense said to be accomplisht were in such matters either wherein prudent Conjecture might go far and I grant the Devil to be a sagacious Spirit or else in dis-junctive Cases as when there are but two ways for a thing to be it must either be so or so in which a bold guessing may often hit right but guessing at future things is far from a Knowledge of them which only can clearly be made out by punctual and particular Predictions of Things with Circumstances of Time and Person such as we find in Scripture in many instances to the prediction of which the greatest sagacity and the utmost guessing could do nothing such as those Predictions of which I gave instances out of Scripture I have now done with the First general Head I propos'd to be spoken to from these Words viz. To prove that this Attribute of Knowledge belongs to God I proceed to the Second viz. To consider the Perfection and Prerogative of the Divine Knowledge which I shall speak to in these following Particulars 1. God's Knowledge is Present and Actual
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
The most Reverend D r. IOHN TILLOTSON late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Several Discourses UPON The Attributes of GOD Viz. Concerning the Perfection of God Concerning our Imitation of the Divine Perfections The Happiness of God The Unchangeableness of God The Knowledge of God The Wisdom Glory and Soveraignty of God The Wisdom of God in the Creation of the World The Wisdom of God in his Providence The Wisdom of God in the Redemption of Mankind The Justice of God in the distribution of Rewards and Punishments The Truth of God The Holiness of God To which is annexed a Spital Sermon Of doing Good By the Most Reverend Dr. JOHN TILLOTSON Late Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Being The SIXTH VOLUME Published from the Originals By Ralph Barker D. D. Chaplain to his Grace LONDON Printed for Ri. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Churchyard 1699. THE CONTENTS OF THE Sixth Volume SERM. I. Concerning the Perfection of God MATTH V. 48 BE ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect SERM. 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 p. 27 SERM. III. The Happiness of God 1 TIM I. 11 The Blessed God The whole Verse runs thus According to the glorious Gospel of the Blessed God which was committed to my trust p. 67 SERM. IV. The Unchangeableness of God JAMES I. 17 With whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning The whole Period runs thus Do not err my beloved Brethren every good Gift and every perfect Gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning p. 97 SERM. V VI. The Knowledge of God 1 SAM II. 3 The Lord is a God of Knowledge p. 153 123 SERM. VII The Wisdom Glory and Soveraignty of God JUDE 25. To the only wise God our Saviour be glory and Majesty dominion and Power now and ever p. 187 SERM. VIII The Wisdom of God in the Creation of the World PSAL. CIV 24 O Lord how manifold are thy Works in Wisdom hast thou made them all p. 219 SERM. IX The Wisdom of God in his Providence Preached at Kensington 1 PETER V. 7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you p. 243 SERM. X. The Wisdom of God in the Redemption of Mankind 1 COR. I. 24 Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God p. 275 SERM. XI The Justice of God in the distribution of Rewards and Punishments GEN. XVIII 25 Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right p. 305 SERM. XII The Truth of God DEUT. XXXII 4 A God of Truth p. 337 SERM. XIII The Holiness of God 1 PET. I. 16 Be ye holy for I am holy p. 369 ADVERTISEMENT THE Discourses of the Divine Goodness being more than can be contain'd in this Volume are together with those of the remaining Attributes reserv'd for the next But to complete this here follows a single Sermon upon another Subject SERM. XIV Of doing Good Being a Spital Sermon Preach'd at Christ-Church on Easter-Tuesday April 14th 1691. GALA VI. 9 10. Let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all Men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith p. 401 SERMON I. Concerning the Perfection of God MATTH V. 48 Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect THESE words are the Conclusion which our Saviour draws from those Precepts which he had given his Disciples of greater perfection than any Laws that were extant in the world before V. 44. I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for those that despitefully use you and persecute you And to perswade them hereto he propounds to them the Pattern of the Divine Perfection telling them that being thus affected towards their Enemies they should resemble God v. 45. That ye may be the Children of your heavenly Father for he maketh the Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth Rain on the just and on the unjust And then he tells us that if we be not thus affected towards our Enemies and those that have been injurious to us we are so far from being like God that we are but just level with the worst of Men v. 46 47. For if ye love them which love you what reward have you do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your Brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans so And then concludes that if we would attain that perfection which the Christian Religion designs to advance Men to we must endeavour to be like God in these perfections of Goodness and Mercy and Patience Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect In which words we have First The absolute Perfection of the Divine Nature supposed as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Secondly It is propounded as a Pattern to our imitation Be ye therefore perfect c. In handling of these words I shall do these four things I. Consider how we are to conceive of the Divine Perfection II. I shall lay down some Rules whereby we may govern and rectifie our Opinions concerning the Attributes and Perfections of God III. 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. I shall endeavour 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 conclude this Discourse with some useful Inferences from the whole I. I shall consider how we are to conceive of the Divine Perfections These two ways 1. By ascribing all imaginable and possible Perfection to God 2. By separating and removing all manner of Imperfection from him 1. By ascribing all imaginable and possible Perfection to God absolute and universal Perfection not limited to a certain kind or to certain particulars but whatever we can conceive and imagin to be a Perfection is to be ascribed to him yea and beyond this whatever possible Perfection there is or possible degree of any Perfection which our short Understandings cannot conceive or comprehend is to be ascribed to him For we are not to confine the Perfection of God to our imagination as if we could find out the Almighty to Perfection But on the contrary to believe the Perfection of the Divine Nature to be boundless and unlimited and infinitely to exceed our highest thoughts and apprehensions More particularly all kinds and all degrees of Perfection are to be ascribed to God which either do not imply a plain Contradiction or do not argue some Imperfection or are not
evidently inconsistent with some other and greater Perfection Some things may seem to be Perfections which in truth are not because they are plainly impossible and involve a Contradiction as that what has once been should by any Power be made not to have been or that a thing which by its Nature is limited and confin'd to one place should at the same time be in another These things in Reason are impossible and therefore not to be supposed to fall under any Power how unlimited soever For if we once ascribe Contradictions to God we destroy his Being because then to be and not to be Power and no Power would be all one And then there are some Perfections which do argue and suppose Imperfections in them as Motion the quickness and swiftness thereof in Creatures is a Perfection but then it supposeth a finite and limited Nature For a boundless and immense Being that is every where present at once hath no need to move from one place to another and therefore though Motion be a Perfection in Creatures there is no Reason to ascribe it to God because it supposeth a greater Imperfection And there are also some imaginable degrees of Perfection which because they are inconsistent with other Perfections are not to be admitted in the Divine Nature For instance such degrees of Goodness and Mercy may be imagined as would quite exclude and shut out Justice and on the other hand such a strictness and a rigour of Justice as would leave no room at all for Patience and Mercy and therefore such degrees are not really to be esteemed Perfections For this is a certain truth that nothing is a Divine Perfection which evidently clasheth with any other necessary and essential Perfection of the Divine Nature We must so consider the Perfections of God that they may accord and consist together and therefore it cannot be a Perfection of God to be so good and gracious as to encourage Sin and to overthrow the Reverence of his own Laws and Government 'T is not Goodness but Easiness and Weakness to be contented to be perpetually injur'd and affronted 'T is not Patience to be willing to be everlastingly trampled upon So likewise on the other hand 't is not a Perfection to be so severe and rigorous as to smite a Sinner in the instant that he offends not to be able to refrain from Punishment and to give time for Repentance But whatever Perfection is conceivable or possible and argues no Imperfection nor is repugnant to any other necessary Perfection is to be ascribed to God for this is the most natural and easie conception that we can have of God that he is the most perfect Being This natural Light doth first suggest and offer to the Minds of Men and we cannot conceive of God as meer Power and Will without Wisdom and Goodness Hence it is that the Greeks call God very often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best of Beings and the Latin Optimus Maximus the best and the Greatest beatissima perfectissima natura constans perfecta Ratio the happiest and most perfect Nature immutible and absolute Reason and many other such expressions which we meet with in the Writings of the Heathen Philosophers I readily grant that the first and most obvious thought which men have of God is that of his Greatness and Majesty but this necessarily involves or infers his Goodness as Seneca excellently reasons Primus Deorum cultus est Deos credere dein reddere illis majestatem suam reddere bonitatem sine quâ nulla Majestas The first Worship of the Gods is to believe their Being next to ascribe to them Greatness and Majesty to ascribe to them Goodness without which there can be no Majesty And we shall find all along in Plato Tully and the best and wisest Writers among the Heathen that they every where attribute the highest Excellencies and Perfections to the Divine Nature and do steer and govern all their Discourses of God by this Principle that Perfection is to be ascrbied to him And whenever any thing is said of God they examin whether it be a Perfection or not if it be they give it him as his due if it be not they lay it aside as a thing not fit to be spoken of him And in the Scripture we do every where find Perfection ascribed to the Nature and Works and Laws of God to every thing that belongs to him or proceeds from him Job 37.16 Dost thou know the wondrous works of him that is perfect in knowledge And again Canst thou by searching find out God Can'st thou find out the Almighty to perfection Ps 18.30 As for God his way is perfect Ps 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect I shall not need to consider particularly the several Perfections of the Divine Nature I shall only give you a brief Scheme and Draught of them Whatever Perfection can be imagined either in the manner of Being or Acting is to be ascribed to God therefore as to his Nature we say that he is a Spirit that is that he is not meer Body or Matter because that would exclude several other Perfections for meer Matter is incapable both of Knowledge and Liberty being determined by necessary Laws of Motion and yet without Knowledge and Liberty there can be no Wisdom nor Goodness We say of God that he is of himself and without Cause and does not owe his Being to any other and consequently that he is necessarily and that he cannot but be and cannot be otherwise than he is for that which is of its self did not chuse whether it would be or not nor whether it would be thus or otherwise for to suppose any thing to deliberate or consult about it's own Being is to suppose it to be before it is We must say of God likewise that he is immense and every where present because to be limited is an Imperfection and that he is eternal that is ever was and shall be for to cease to be is a greater Imperfection than sometime not to have been And then we are to say of God that he is the Cause of all other Beings that they are made by him and depend upon him that he knows all things and can do all things in the most perfect manner by a glance of his Mind and by the meer beck and nod of his Will without long study or deliberation without laborious pains and endeavours and consequently that nothing is exempted from his Knowledge and Power and Providence and that he administers all things in a way of Goodness and Wisdom of Justice and Truth and therefore all things are to be referred to him as their last end All these Perfections and all other that are possible we are to look upon the Divine Nature as fully and immutably possest of and that in an higher and more excellent degree than our finite Understandings are able to conceive or comprehend 2. As we are to ascribe all imaginable
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
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
Goodness of God is then greatest when it is exercised towards the evil and unthankful those who are so far from deserving it that they have given great and just Provocations to the contrary And this affection and temper of Mind which is so remarkable in God towards the unworthy and unthankful Sons of Men our Saviour recommends to our imitation here in the Text. Be ye therefore Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect Be ye therefore this Particle of inference therefore hath a plain relation to something spoken before and if we look back to v. 44. we shall find our Saviour there enjoyning his Disciples to love their Enemies to bless them that curse them to do good to them that hate them and to pray for those that despightfully use them and persecute them And by what other argument doth he inforce the Practice of this difficult Duty but by telling us that this is to be like God to be good to the evil and unthankful v. 45. That ye may be the Children of your Heavenly Father who maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and the good and his Rain to fall on the just and on the unjust God is good to all and exerciseth great Mercy and Patitience even towards the evil and unjust And then he concludes that if Perfection it self be fit to be a Pattern we should labour after these Qualities Be ye therefore Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect So that though the universal Perfection of the Divine Nature be here supposed yet the Attributes of his Goodness and Mercy and Patience are here particularly pointed at and propounded to us for our Pattern and the Precept of imitating the Divine Perfection is more especially to be understood of those Perfections which our Saviour had been discoursâ—â—â— of before viz. the Goodness and Mercy of God And that this is undoubtedly so is evident from St. Luke's rendring this Precept Ch. 6.36 Be ye therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benefici ready to do good full of kindness and benignity merciful as your Father which is in Heaven is merciful that is endeavour you to be such as I have described God to be And this St. Matthew calls Perfection because the Goodness of God is his great Perfection and the Glory of the Divine Nature that which reflects a lustre and beauty upon all his other Attributes and takes off the terrour of them From all which it is plain what those Perfections of the Divine Nature are which our Saviour doth here particularly recommend to our imitation I come now in the IV. and last place To clear the true meaning of this Precept and to shew that the Duty here required and intended by our Saviour when he says Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect is not impossible to us And to this purpose be pleased to consider these three or four things 1. That our imitation of God is certainly restrained to the communicable Perfections of God and such as Creatures are capable of as I have shewn before For it is so far from being a Duty to affect or attempt to be like God in his peculiar Perfections that it was probably the Sin of the Apostate Angels 2. Our imitation of the Divine Perfections which are communicable to Creatures is likewise to be restrain'd to such degrees of these Perfections as Creatures are capable of For no Creature can ever be so perfectly Good as God is nor partake of any other Excellency in that transcendent degree in which the Divine Nature is possest of it 3. But there is no manner of inconvenience in having a Pattern propounded to us of so great Perfection as is above our reach to attain to and there may be great Advantages in it The way to excel in any kind is optima quaeque exempla ad imitandum proponere to propose the highest and most perfect Examples to our imitation No Man can write after too perfect and good a Copy and though he can never reach the Perfection of it yet he is like to learn more than by one less perfect He that aims at the Heavens which yet he is sure to come short of is like to shoot higher than he that aims at a mark within his reach Besides that the excellency of the Pattern as it leaves room for continual improvement so it kindles Ambition and makes Men strain and contend to the utmost to do better And though he can never hope to equal the Example before him yet he will endeavour to come as near it as he can So that a perfect Pattern is no hindrance but an advantage rather to our improvement in any kind 4. If any thing can be supposed to be our Duty which is absolutely beyond our Power a Precept of this nature may with as much reason be supposed to be so as any thing that can be instanc'd in Because in such a case if we do our best and be continnually pressing forward towards the Mark though we can never reach it yet we do very commendably and whatever the law may require to try and raise our Obedience yet in all equitable Interpretation such a Will and Endeavour will be acceptable with God for the Deed. For if the Perfection of the Law do really exceed our Ability and be beyond the possibility of our Performance the assurance we have of God's Goodness will sufficiently secure us from any danger and prejudice upon on that account And we may reasonably presume that to do all we can towards the fulfilling of this Precept will be as acceptable to God and as beneficial to our selves as if our Power had been greater and we had perfectly fulfill'd it If our Heavenly Father to try the readiness and chearfulness of our Obedience bid us do that which he knows we cannot do though we can do something towards it we may be sure that he will be very well pleased when he sees that in obedience to him we have done all that we could And we may in this case reason as our Saviour does If we that are evil would deal thus with our Children how much more shall our Heavenly Father The Goodness of God signifies very little if it does not signifie this that in any instance of real and unquestionable Goodness God is much better than any Father upon Earth However at the worst that wherein we fall short of the Perfection of the Law may be supplyed on our part by an humble acknowledgment of our own Weakness and Imperfection and on God's part by Mercy and Forgiveness for the sake of the perfect Obedience of our blessed Redeemer This is the least benefit we can expect in this case from the Grace and Mercy and Equity of the Gospel 5. And lastly which will fully clear this matter this Precept doth not oblige us to come up to a perfect equality with the Pattern propounded to us but only imports a vigorous imitation
of it that we be perpetually ascending and climbing up higher still advancing from one degree of Goodness to another and continually aspiring after a nearer resemblance to God And this certainly is possible to us to endeavour to be as like God as we can in this weak and imperfect state Whereas any Equality with God even in the communicable Attributes of his Goodness and Mercy and Patience is not only impossible to us in this state of Sin and Imperfection but above the condition of a Creature even of the Spirits of just Men made Perfect and of the highest Angels in Glory for their Perfection is not absolute but in comparison with our present state And I think there is no great Reason to doubt but that the blessed Spirits above who continually behold the Face of their Father are still writing after this Copy which is here propounded to us and endeavouring to be perfect as their Father which is in Heaven is perfect still aspiring after a nearer and more perfect resemblance of God whose Goodness and Mercy is so far beyond and before that of any Creature that they may be for ever approaching nearer to it and yet never overtake it And this seems to be no inconsiderable ingredient and enhancement of the happiness of Heaven that the Holiness of good men which is the similitude of God is never at a stand nor at it's full growth and period but that the glorified Saints yea and blessed Angels too may be continually growing and improving and they themselves still become better and happier to all eternity And this in my apprehension is no undervaluing the happiness of Heaven that it is not so perfect at first as it shall be afterwards because it is granted on all hands that the happiness of those good Souls who are already in bliss shall be more perfect and compleat at the Resurrection And why may it not then be continually increasing and be augmented still more and more without any stint or final period of it's perfection In this world we are apt to faint in a long course of goodness and to be weary of well doing But in the other state when men shall be strongly byassed to goodness and have nothing to pull them back it will then be so far from being a trouble that methinks it should be a mighty pleasure to the blessed to find that there is no end of their doing good and becoming better For if conformity to God be the ground and foundation of all Happiness then our Blessedness will advance proportionably as we grow more and more like to him This I confess were a dismal Consideration to think that in Heaven we should be liable to relapse to go backward or fall from that holy and happy state But this is a comfortable Consideration that our holiness and happiness shall never be at a stand that it is secure so far as it goes and that we cannot lose what we have once attain'd as we may do in this world This methinks should be a trouble to no man that as good and happy as he is at first he shall still be better and better more and more happy without end But be that as it will and as God pleaseth for we do but talk in the dark about our future state this is certain that an equality with God in any of his Perfections is not to be attained by any Creature and therefore cannot be thought to be the meaning of this Precept But that which our Saviour requires is a vigorous imitation of this Pattern that we have this Example of the Divine Perfection always before us and that we be continually endeavouring as much as in us lies to bring our selves to the nearest resemblance of God that possibly we can And if this be our sincere care and study we need not doubt but that it will find acceptance with God and that he will be graciously pleased to esteem us for his Children and if there need a pardon for it that God will forgive wherein we fall short of the Perfection of that Pattern which we can never imitate to Perfection And happy were it for us if this were all the ground of our fear and trouble that when we had done all we could we must still fall much short of the perfection of God's Law and the Duty therein laid upon us alas which of us does near so much as we can and is not conscious to himself that it is through his own fault and neglect that he is so unlike his heavenly Father in Goodness and Mercy in Righteousness and true Holiness and that he still partakes in so great a measure of those not only unreasonable and brutish but even devilish Passions of Malice and Hatred of Rage and Cruelty of Impatience and implacable Revenge and that these ungodlike Qualities do so frequently prevail upon us and have so much dominion over us We are so far from being what we ought in these and many other respects that we are far from what we might be if we would mind our Duty with care and conscience and make it our sincere endeavour to subdue our selves to a conformity to God and to a perfect holiness in his fear Would we but often set God before our eyes and represent to our selves those excellent and amiable Perfections of the Divine Nature which are so comfortable and beneficial to us and to which we stand so infinitely oblig'd his Goodness and Mercy and Patience upon which all our hopes of Happiness do depend and to which we are indebted that we are not miserable past recovery that Goodness and Patience which he continually exerciseth towards us for we provoke him every day and exerciseth towards us on purpose to endear those Perfections to us from which we reap so much comfort and advantage that by the Pattern of Perfection it self and the Example of him who is so much above us so no ways obliged to us nor tyed by any interest to be concerned for us and who being happy in himself neither hopes nor fears any thing from us I say by an Example that has all these advantages we might be provok'd to be so affected towards one another who have mutual Obligations one to another and mutual Expectations of Good or Evil one from another as we have always found God to be towards us and as we desire he should still continue and miserable Creatures are we when ever he ceaseth to be so And we have reason to fear he will cease to be so if this Example of his Goodness and Patience towards us do not transform us into the Image of the Divine Perfections and prevail upon us to imitate those Excellencies which we have so much reason to approve and admire and be in love withal These Considerations taken both from ingenuity and interest should awaken our sloath and stir up our most resolute and vigorous endeavours after that Perfection which our Saviour here requires and make us ashamed of
our lazy complaints that our Duty is set so high that the endeavours of our whole life cannot reach it when yet we have hardly made one step towards it and are so remiss and unconcern'd about it as if we could do it at any time with the greatest ease and at an hours warning before we leave the world could fulfil this Precept of our Lord of being perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect And yet let me tell you so far as any of us are from resembling our heavenly Father in some good degree and measure so far are we distant from Heaven and the temper of the blessed so far are we utterly unqualified for the blissful sight and enjoyment of God for unless we be first like him we cannot see him as he is Only the pure in heart shall see God and therefore every man that has this hope in him should purifie himself even as he is pure And thus I have as briefly as I could dispatcht the four things I propounded for the Explication of this Text namely how we are to conceive of the Divine Perfections and to give some Rules to regulate and govern our Opinions concerning the Attributes and Perfections of God to explain the extent of this Duty and vindicate the possibility of it All that now remains is to draw some useful Inferences from this Discourse which I have made and they shall be these two I. That the strongest and surest Reasonings in Religion are grounded upon the Essential Perfections of God II. That the truest and most substantial Practice of Religion consists in the imitation of God I. That the strongest and surest Reasonings in Religion are grounded upon the Essential Perfections of God so that even Divine Revelation it self doth suppose these for its Foundation and can signifie nothing to us unless these be first known and believed Unless we be first perswaded of the Providence of God and his particular Care of Mankind why should we believe that he would make any Revelation of himself to Men Unless it be naturally known to us that God is true what foundation is there for the belief of his Word And what signifie the Laws and Promises of God unless natural Light do first assure us of his Soveraign Authority and Faithfulness So that the Principles of Natural Religion are the foundation of that which is Revealed and therefore in Reason nothing can be admitted to be a Revelation from God which plainly contradicts his Essential Perfection and consequently if any pretends Divine Revelation for this Doctrine That God hath from all Eternity absolutely decreed the eternal ruine of the greatest part of Mankind without any respect to the Sins and Demerits of Men I am as certain that this Doctrine cannot be of God as I am sure that God is Good and Just because this grates upon the Notion that Mankind have of Goodness and Justice This is that which no good man would do and therefore cannot be believed of infinite Goodness and therefore if an Apostle or Angel from Heaven teach any Doctrine which plainly overthrows the Goodness and Justice of God let him be accursed For every man hath greater assurance that God is Good and Just than he can have of any subtile Speculations about Predestination and the Decrees of God And for the same Reason I cannot believe upon the pretended Authority or Infallibility of any Man or Church in the world that God would not have Men understand their Publick Prayers and the Lessons of Scripture which are read to them A Lesson not to be understood is nonsense a Lesson is something to be learn'd which how it can be without being understood is hard to comprehend And as little can I believe upon the Authority of any Person or Church whatsoever that God should reveal his Will to Men in the holy Scriptures with a design to have it hid and lock't up from the generality of Mankind in an unknown Tongue And much less can I believe which yet is the express Doctrine of the Council of Trent that the saving Efficacy of the Sacrament depends upon the Intention of the Priest Which is to say that though people believe and live never so well they may be damned by Sholes and whole Parishes together at the pleasure of the Priest and for no other reason but because he is so wicked as not to intend to save them Can any man believe this that hath any tolerable notion of God's Goodness May we not in this case appeal as Abraham did to the Goodness and Justice of God and expostulate with greater Reason than he did much after the same manner wilt thou destroy the righteous for the wicked That be far from Thee to do after this manner to damn the righteous for the wicked and that righteous people should lye at the mercy of a wicked Priest to be damned or saved at his pleasure that be far from Thee Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right And can there be a greater affront to the Goodness and Justice of God than to imagin he should deal with men after this manner If this be to do right there is no possibility of doing wrong And to give but one instance more I can never believe upon the Authority of any Man or Church whatsoever that our Saviour in the Celebration of his last Supper did with his own hands give away his own Natural Body into the hands of his Disciples and give his Blood shed before it was shed That the whole Doctrine of Christianity should mainly rely upon the Evidence of Miracles the assurance of which depends upon the certainty of Sense and yet that an Essential part of that Doctrine should overthrow the certainty of Sense I can never while I live believe these two things that the last thing our Saviour did before his death should be to teach his Disciples not to believe their own Senses as he must do if he taught them Transubstantiation and that the very first thing he did after he was risen from the dead should be to teach them the quite contrary by appealing to the certainty of Sense for the proof of his Resurrection for when they doubted of his Resurrection Luke 24.38 He said unto them why are ye troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts behold my hands and my feet that it is I my self handle me and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have If this be a good Argument that it was a real Body which they saw because they saw and felt Flesh and Bones is it not as good an Argument on the other side that what they saw in the Sacrament was not his real and natural Body because they could neither see nor handle Flesh and Bones So that I cannot believe Transubstantiation unless I can believe that Truth it self can contradict and destroy it self You see of what use it is to have right and steady Apprehensions of 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
they do but serve God in their Families and go to Church and behave themselves there with Devotion and Reverence and at certain seasons receive the Sacrament they are truly religious and very good Christians when all this while they take no care to improve themselves in real Goodness by an inward conformity of their Minds to God and the real reformation and amendment of their Lives by mortifying their Lusts and subduing their Appetites and Passions to the Laws of Reason and Religion by putting on as the elect of God bowels of kindness by being true and faithful righteous and just patient and merciful as their Father which is in heaven is so and by forbearing one another in case of provocation and forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us by purifying themselves as God is pure and endeavouring to be holy in all manner of conversation as he who hath called them is holy when all this while they are as covetous and earthly minded and to serve their covetousness will strain a point of Truth or Justice and hardly do an act of Charity in their whole lives but what is extorted from them by meer importunity or some such urgent necessity in point of decency and reputation that for shame of the World they know not how to avoid it when their Passions are as fierce and ungoverned their Hearts as full of Gall and Bitterness their Tongues of slander and evil speaking their Humours as proud and surly and censorious as theirs can be who are openly profane and seem to neglect and despise all Religion And yet because they serve God as they call it and make an external appearance of Piety and Devotion are good Church-men and attend upon the Ordinances of God they think they have discharged the whole business of Religion admirably well and are very good children of God and in a state of great grace and favour with him Whereas the performance of all these Duties and the use of all these Means separated from that which is the great End of Religion the Conformity of our selves to God in those Qualities and Dispositions which I have mention'd is so far from finding acceptance with God that it is an abomination to him So God every where declares in Scripture telling us that the prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord and that he disdains to be praised by men of unhallowed lips and lives and that unless with the praises we offer to him we order our conversation aright we shall not see the salvation of God With what contempt does he speak of this formal and external Religion without the power of it upon our hearts and lives To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices to me Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams and ten thousands of rivers of Oil he hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Is not this the fast which I have chosen to break the bands of wickedness and to let the oppressed go free to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thine house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh Nor is it hearing of the Word that will avail us unless we be doers of it Blessed are they says our Saviour that hear the word of God and keep it He that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them shall be likened to a wise man who hath built his house upon a rock Nor will bare receiving of the Sacrament recommend us to God but performing the Obligation which thereby we take upon our selves to obstain from all sin and wickedness otherwise we tread under foot the Son of God and prophane the blood of the Covenant whereby we should be sanctified as if it were an unholy thing Can any man think that to be Religion which has no effect upon the lives of men which does not teach them to govern their words and actions who reads those plain words of St. James If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart that man's Religion is vain Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and widdows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world When Religion produceth these real Effects then the Means of Religion do truly serve the End of it and we are not only hearers of the Word but doers of it and shall be blessed in our deed So that as there is an obligation upon us to use the Means of Religion which God hath instituted with great care and conscience so we should chiefly mind that which is the End of all Religion which is to make us partakers of a Divine Nature and make us like to God especially in those amiable and excellent Qualities which are the glory and beauty of the Divine Nature his Benignity and Goodness his Mercy and Patience These because they are the primary Perfections of God are the principal Duties both of Natural and Revealed Religion and of an eternal and indispensable Obligation because they have their foundation in the Nature of God which is fixt and unalterable And all positive Institutions when they come in competition with these are to stoop and vail to them Natural and Moral Duties especially those of Goodness and Mercy and Charity are so strongly bound upon us that nothing in any reveal'd Religion can cancel the Obligation of them or justifie the violation of these great and indispensable Laws Our Saviour in his Religion has declar'd nothing to the prejudice of them but on the contrary has straitned our Obligation to them as much as is possible The Son of man came not to destroy mens lives but to save them so that they know not what manner of spirit they are of who think to please God by hating men who are made after the image of God by killing one another to do him good service who to advance his Cause and Religion in the World will break through all the Obligations of Nature and Civil Society undermine Government and disturb the Peace of Mankind Whereas our Saviour did not by any thing in his Religion design to alter the Civil Government of the World or to lessen and diminish the Rights of Princes or to set men loose from Allegiance to them or to make Treason and Rebellion bloody Wars and barbarous Massacres lawful for the propagating of his faith He had as any one would imagin as much Power as the Pope but yet he deposed no Princes nor excommunicated and discharged their Subjects from their Fidelity and Obedience to them for their opposition to his Religion he hath assumed no such Power to himself By what Authority then does his Vicar do these things and
would it produce what untoward Combinations of Effects would there be if infinite Power were let loose to act without the Conduct of Knowledge and Vnderstanding And consequently we take away his Providence for without Knowledge there can be no Counsel no fore-cast of Events no provision for the future no Government of the World And this is not all for without Knowledge there could be no such thing as Goodness for he is not good that does good out of Ignorance or from a blind Necessity There could be no Veracity nor Justice nor Mercy in God for all these suppose Knowledge He that speaks Truth must know it he that is Just must understand right from wrong he that shews Mercy must know who are miserable and how they may be relieved and not to labour in a thing so plain and casie take away the Knowledge of God and you render him incapable of any Honour from his Creatures for if he know not what Honour we do him it is lost labour to give him any And that we may see these are the deductions of Natural Reason without the advantage of Revelation we shall find the Heathens who were destitute of Divine Revelation did attribute this Perfection to God Tully tells us that Thales was wont to say Deos omnia cernere and we know the Heathens were wont to swear Diis immortalibus testibus interpositis which is an owning of his Omniscience Quis enim non timeat Deum omnia pervidentem cogitantem animadvertentem curiosum negotii plenum Deum de Nat. Deor. l. 1. 2. From Scripture and Divine Revelation I will not heap up all those Testimonies of Scripture which might be gathered together upon this Argument I will only instance in two or three Job 36.4 He that is perfect in Knowledge is with thee 37.16 Dost thou know the wondrous works of him who is perfect in Knowledge Hither we may refer those Texts which represent God by way of condescension to our infirmity as having Eyes and Ears which signifie his Knowledge of what is done in the World and those which speak of him as communicating to us all the Knowledge which we have he giveth Wisdom to the Wise and Vnderstanding to them that know Vnderstanding Dan. 2.21 And those which speak of God as knowing the most secret things the hidden things of darkness the Hearts and the Thoughts of Men and those things which are at the greatest distance as future things and of the greatest uncertainty as the contingent Acts of free Creatures each of these I shall particularly consider for in proving that God knows all these his Knowledge of all other things will be proved with advantage for if any thing be out of the reach of the Divine Vnderstanding it must in all probability be either those things which are secret and hidden as Mens secret Actions or their Thoughts or else those things which are to come and depend upon no certain cause as future contingencies and the proving of this may be of great use to us as having a great influence upon Practice it tends very much to the advancement of Religion and the good Government of our Lives I begin with the I. Of these viz. That God takes very exact and particular notice of all the Actions of Men even those that are most secret And in handling of this I shall speak distinctly to these three Things 1. That God takes knowledge of all our actions his Eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings Job 34.21 2. That he is a curious observer of them he seeth all his goings he marks all his steps takes very exact and particular notice of all that we do 3. He takes notice of those actions which are most secret and hidden there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Job 34 22. 1. That God takes notice of all our actions And that this Notion was planted in the Mind of Man and a Beam of the Light which comes with us into the World will appear by the general agreement of Heathens in it I will but produce one or two Testimonies to this purpose Tully lays down this Principle as that which makes Men regular and orderly and fit for Society sit igitur hoc persuasum civibus qualis quisque sit quid agat quid in se admittat deos intueri Socrates as Xenophon tells us was wont to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in his Discourse upon Epictetus tells us it is necessary that every one should be perswaded of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that every thing that is done by Men is seen of God The Scripture frequently mentions this Psal 139.1 c. Prov. 5.21 The ways of Man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Jer. 32.19 Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the Sons of men to give every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings 2. He is a curious Observer one that takes exact notice of all that we do Job saith he seeth all our steps and Solomon that he pondereth all our goings the word is he weighs them in a ballance So 1 Sam. 2 3. The Lord is a God of knowledge by him actions are weighed Job 31.4 Doth he not see my ways and count all my steps which doth not imply the difficulty but the Perfection and exactness of God's Knowledge he knâ—ws the quality of our actions and all the circumstances of them all the degrees of Good and Evil that are in them whatever may commend an action or blemish it whatever may aggravate a Sin or excuse it Isa 26.7 Thou most upright dost weigh the path of the just There 's not a good word that we speak but God hears it Mal. 3.16 And the Lord hearkened and heard and a book of remembrance was written before him and all we do is noted in his Book Psa 56.8 3. He takes notice of those Actions which are most secret and hidden the good as well as the bad when we do our alms in secret when we enter into our Closets and shut the doors our Father seeth in secret Mat. 6. Nor can we retire our selves to any place where we can sin so as God shall not see us where we can hide our sins from his sight or our selves from his wrath Hear how sensibly a Heathen speaks of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in Ep. l. 1. c. 14. The Scripture is full of Testimonies to this purpose Psal 90.8 Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance those sins which we commit in the Dark are in the Light of the Divine Knowledge darkness and light are all one to him Psal 139.11 12. Jer. 16.17 23 24. Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him II. God knows the hearts and thoughts of Men which implys these two things 1 st
of conviction by shewing the absurdity and inconvenience of the contrary The Contrary is an Imperfection and argues many other Imperfections therefore Wisdom belongs to God Among men Folly is look'd upon as the greatest defect it is accounted a greater Reproach and Disgrace than Vice and Wickedness it is of so ill a Report in the World that there are not many but had rather be accounted Knaves than Fools but in a true Esteem and Value of things it is next to Wickedness the greatest Imperfection and on the contrary Wisdom is the highest Perfection next to Holiness and Goodness it is usually more cryed up in the World than any thing else Reason tells us tho' the Scripture had not said it that wisdom excells folly as much as light doth darkness Eccl. 2.13 The wisdom of a man maketh his Face to shine Eccl. 8.1 Wisdom is a defence 7.12 and v. 19. Wisdom strengthneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in the City And the denyal of this Perfection to God would argue many other Imperfections it would be an universal Blemish to the Divine Nature and would darken all his other Perfections It would weaken the Power of God How impotent and ineffectual would Power be without Wisdom what irregular things would it produce what untoward Combinations of Effects would there be if Infinite Power should act without the Conduct and Direction of Infinite Wisdom It would eclipse the Providence of God and put out the Eyes that are in the Wheels as the Prophet represents God's Providence There can be no Counsel no Fore-cast no orderly Government of the World without Wisdom The Goodness and Mercy and Justice and Truth of God could not shine with that lustre were it not for his Wisdom which doth illustrate these with so much advantage I need not bring Testimonies from Heathen Writers to confirm this their Books are full of Expressions of their admiration of God's wise Government of the World I will not trouble you with Quotations of particular Testimonies Epicurus indeed denyed that God either made or govern'd the World but he must needs acknowledge him to have been a very wise Being because he made him happy which cannot be without Wisdom tho' he had taken away all other evidence of his Wisdom Aristotle seems to have supposed the World to be a necessary result and emanation from God but then the other Sects of Philosophers did suppose the World to be the free Product of God's Goodness and Wisdom 2. From Scripture Job 9.4 He is wise in heart 36.5 He is mighty in strength and wisdom Dan. 2.20 Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever for wisdom and might are his Hither we may refer those Texts which attribute Wisdom of God in a singular and peculiar manner Rom. 16.27 and those which speak of God as the Fountain of it who communicates and bestows it upon his Creatures Dan. 2.21 James 1.5 and those Texts which speak of the Wisdom of God in the Creation of the World Psal 104.24 O Lord how wonderful are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all Jer. 10.12 who hath establisht the world by his wisdom and stretched forth the heavens by his discretion in the Providence and Government of the World Dan. 2.20 Wisdom and strength are his and he changeth times and seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings and in many other places in the redemption of Mankind therefore Christ is called the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 and the dispensation of the Gospel the hidden wisdom of God and the manifold wisdom of God Eph. 2.10 If then God be only wise the Original and only Fountain of it from hence we learn First To go to him for it Jam. 1.5 If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God There are many conceited Men that think they are Rich and increased and stand in need of nothing The Apostle doth not speak as if there were some that did not want Wisdom but because there are some so proud and conceited that they think that they lack nothing those are stark Fools and God resists such foolish and proud Men but if any Man sensible of his Defect and Imperfection cometh to God he gives liberally and upbraids no man We are ashamed to learn Wisdom of Men lest they should contemn and upbraid us with our Folly Men are envious and unwilling that others should be as wise as themselves but God's goodness makes him willing to impart Wisdom he gives liberally and upbraids no man This is the most desirable Accomplishment and Perfection happy is the man that getteth wisdom wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom it is better than those things that are of highest value among men as Solomon often makes the Comparison Now because it comes down from above we should look up for it it 's by the Revelation of his Will and the wise Counsels of his Word that we are made wise unto salvation therefore we should beg of him that he would give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of himself Eph. 1.17 2. If God be only Wise in such an eminent and transcendent Degree then let us be humble There 's no cause of boasting seeing we have nothing but what we have receiv'd The lowest instance the least specimen of Divine Wisdom out-shines the highest pitch of Humane Wisdom the foolishness of God is wiser than men 1 Cor. 1.25 therefore let not the wise man glory in his wisdom Jer. 9.29 Of all things we should not be proud of Wisdom the proud man throws down the Reputation of his Wisdom by the way that he would raise it No such evidence of our Folly as as a conceit that we are Wise sapientis animus nunquam turgescit nunquam tumet Cic. To pride our selves in our own Wisdom is the way to have our Folly made manifest God threatens to destroy the wisdom of the wise man and to turn their wisdom into foolishness 3. We should labour to partake of the Wisdom of God so far as it is communicable The greatest Wisdom that we are capable of is to distinguish between Good and Evil to be wise to that which is good as the Apostle speaks Rom. 16.19 that is to provide for the future in time to make provision for Eternity to think of our latter end to fear God and obey him to be pure and peaceable to receive instruction and to win Souls these are the Characters which the Scripture gives of Wisdom When Job had declared that the excellency of the Divine Wisdom was not to be attained by men he tells us what that Wisdom is which is proper for us And unto man he said the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding There are many that are wise to worldly Ends and Purposes as our Saviour tells us wise to get Riches and to ascend to Honours But this is not the wisdom which we are to
labour after this is but a short-witted Prudence to serve a present turn without any prospect to the future without regard to the next World and the Eternity which we are to live in this is to be wise for a moment and fools for ever 4. If God be only Wise then put your Trust and Confidence in him Whom should we trust rather than Infinite Wisdom which manageth and directs Infinite Goodness and Power In all Cases of difficulty trust him for direction acknowledge him in all thy ways that he may direct thy steps commit thy way unto the Lord and lean not to thine own understanding The race is not to the swift nor the Battel to the strong but the Providence of God disposeth all these things And if we rely upon our own Wisdom that will prove a broken reed And as our own Wisdom is a broken Reed so the Wisdom of other men Isa 31.1 2. God curseth them that go down into Egypt and trust to their strength and Wisdom but look not to the holy one of Israel neither seek the Lord yet he also is wise saith the Prophet 5. Let us adore the Wisdom of God and say with St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.17 To the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen and with Daniel Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever for wisdom and might are his Veneration is the acknowledgement of an Infinite Excellency and Perfection We reverence any extraordinary degree of Wisdom in Men but the Divine Wisdom which is Perfect and Infinite is matter of our Adoration and Blessing and Praise Thanksgiving respects the Benefits we receive but we bless God when we acknowledge any Excellency for as God's Blessing us is to do us good so our Blessing him is to speak good of him and as all God's Perfections are the Objects of our Blessing so more especially his Wisdom is of our Praise for to praise God is to take notice of the wise Design and Contrivance of his Goodness and Mercy towards us Before I pass on to the other Particulars contained in these words I cannot but take notice that this wise God here spoken of is stiled our Saviour which some understand of our Saviour Jesus Christ and bring this place as an Argument to prove his Divinity and if that were so it were all one to my purpose which is in the next place to shew that Glory and Majesty and Dominion and Power belong to the Divine Being But altho' I would not willingly part with any place that may fairly be brought for the proof of the Divinity of Christ yet seeing there are so many plain Texts in Scripture for the proof of it we have the less reason to stretch doubtful places and that this is so will appear to any one who considers that the Title of Saviour is several times in Scripture attributed to God the Father besides that in a very Ancient and Authentick Copy we find the words read somewhat otherwise and so as to put this out of all Controversie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Having premised thus much for the clearing of these words I shall briefly consider first God's Glory and Majesty and then his Dominion and Soveraignty First God's Glory and Majesty By Majesty we may understand the greatness or eminent excellency of the Divine Nature which results from his Perfections and whereby the Divine Nature is set and placed infinitely above all other Beings I say the eminent excellency of the Divine Nature which results from his Perfections more especially from those great Perfections his Goodness and Wisdom and Power and Holiness And his Glory is a manifestation of this Excellency and a just acknowledgment and due opinion of it Hence it is that in Scripture God is said to be glorious in power and glorious in holiness and his Goodness is call'd his glory and here in the Text Glory and Majesty are ascribed to him upon the account of his Wisdom and Goodness That these belong to God I shall prove 1. From the acknowledgment of Natural Light The Heathens did constantly ascribe Greatness to God and that as resulting chiefly from his Goodness as appears by their frequent conjunction of these two Attributes Goodness and Greatness Opt. Max. were their most familiar Titles of the Deity to which I will add that known place of Seneca primus deorum cultus est deos credere dein reddere illis majestatem suam reddere bonitatem sine quâ nulla majestas 2. From Scripture It were endless to produce all those Texts wherein Greatness and Glory are ascribed to God I shall mention two or three Deut. 10.17 the Lord is a great God Psal 24.10 he 's call'd the King of glory 104 1. he is said to be cloathed with majesty and honour The whole Earth is full of his glory Hither belong all those Doxologies in the Old and New Testament wherein Greatness and Glory and Majesty are ascribed to God From all which we may learn 1. What it is that makes a Person great and glorious and what is the way to Majesty viz. real worth and excellency and particularly that kind of excellency which Creatures are capable of in a very eminent degree and that is goodness this is that which advanceth a Person and gives him a pre-eminency above all others this casts a lustre upon a man and makes his face to shine Aristotle tells us that Honour is nothing else but the signification of the esteem which we have of a Person for his goodness for saith he to be good and to do good is the highest glory God's Goodness is his highest Glory and there is nothing so glorious in any Creature as herein to be like God 2. Let us give God the Glory which is due to his Name Ascribe ye greatness to our God Deut. 32.3 Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and power Psal 29.1 The Glory and Majesty of God calls for our Esteem and Honour our Fear and Reverence of him Thus we should glorifie God in our Spirits by an inward esteem and reverence of his Majesty The thoughts of Earthly Majesty will compose us to reverence how much more should the Apprehensions of the Divine Majesty strike an awe upon our Spirits in all our Addresses to him his excellency should make us afraid and keep us from all saucy boldness and familiarity with him Reverence is an Acknowledgment of the distance which is between the Majesty of God and our meanness And we should glorifie him in our bodies with outward Worship and Adoration that is by all external significations of reverence and respect and we should glorifie him in our Lives and Actions The highest glory a Creature can give to God is to endeavour to be like him satis illos coluit quisquis imitatus est Sen. hereby we manifest and shew forth his Excellency to the World when we endeavour to be conformed to the Divine Perfections And in case of
of this Design and the Means how it is accomplisht This is Wisdom to fit Means to Ends and the more difficult the End the greater Wisdom is required to find out suitable and sufficient Means for the accomplishment of the End Now the wisdom of redemption will appear if we consider the case of fallen Man and what fit and proper and suitable Means the Wisdom of God hath devised for our Recovery 1. Let us consider the Case of fallen Man which was very sad both in respect of the Misery and the Difficulty of it 1. In respect of the Misery of it Man who was made Holy and Upright by God having by his voluntary Transgression and wilful Disobedience fall'n from him did presently sink into a corrupt and degenerate into a miserable and cursed Condition of which Heaven and Earth and his own Conscience bore him Witness Man being become a Sinner is not only deprived of the Image of God but is liable to his Justice here was his Misery 2. The difficulty of the Case was this Man could not recover himself and raise himself out of his own ruin no Creature was able to do it so that our help is only in God and indeed he is a merciful God and doth not desire our Ruin nor delight in our Destruction But suppose his Mercy never so willing to save us will not his Holiness and Justice and Truth check those forward Inclinations of his Goodness and hinder all the Designs of his Mercy Is not sin contrary to the Holy Nature of God hath not he declared his Infinite hatred of it hath not he threatned it with heavy and dreadful Punishment and said that the sinner shall die that he will not acquit the guilty nor let sin go unpunish'd Should he now without any satisfaction to his offended Justice pardon the Sinner remit his Punishment and receive him to favour would this be agreeable to his Holiness and Justice and Truth would this become the Wise Governour of the World who loves Righteousness and Order who hates sin and is obliged by the essential rectitude of his Nature to discountenance sin So that here is a conflict of the Attributes and Perfections of God The Mercy of God pities our Misery and would recover us would open Paradise to us but there is a flaming Sword that keeps us out the incensed Justice of God that must be satisfied and if he take vengeance of us we are eternally ruin'd if he spare us how shall Mercy and Justice meet together how shall God at once express his Love to the Sinner and his hatred to sin here is the difficulty of our Case II. Let us now enquire what Means the Wisdom of God useth for our recovery The Wisdom of God hath devised this expedient to accommodate all these Difficulties to reconcile the Mercy and Justice of God The Son of God shall undertake this work and satisfie the offended Justice of God and repair the ruin'd Nature of Man He shall bring God and Man together make up this Gulph and renew the Commerce and Correspondence between God and us which was broken off by Sin The work that God designs is the redemption of Man that is his recovery from a state of Sin and Eternal Death to a state of Holiness and Eternal Life The Son of God is to engage in this Design of our Redemption to satisfie the offended Justice of God toward us so as to purchase our deliverance from the Wrath to come and so as to restore us to the Image and Favour of God that we may be sanctified and be made Heirs of Eternal Life For opening of this we will consider 1. The fitness of the Person designed for this Work 2. The fitness of the Means whereby he was to accomplish it 1. The fitness of the Person design'd for this Work and that was the eternal Son of God who in respect of his Infinite Wisdom and Power the Dignity and Credit of his Person his dearness to his Father and Interest in him was very fit to undertake this Work to mediate a Reconciliation between God and Man 2. The fitness of the Means whereby he was to accomplish it and these I shall refer to two Heads his Humiliation and Exaltation All the Parts of these are very subservient to the Design of our Redemption I. The Humiliation of Christ which consists of three principal Parts his Incarnation his Life and his Death 1. His Incarnation which is set forth in Scripture by several Expressions his being made flesh and dwelling among us John 1.14 His being made of the seed of David according to the flesh Rom. 1.3 His being made of a woman Gal. 4.4 The manifestation of God in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 His taking part of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 His taking on him the seed of Abraham and being made like unto his brethren Heb. 2.16 17. His coming in the flesh 1 John 2.2 All which signifies his taking upon him Humane Nature and being really a Man as well as God The Eternal Son of God in the fulness of time took our Nature that is assumed a real Soul and Body into Union with the Divine Nature Now this Person who was really both God and man was admirably fitted for the Work of our Redemption In general this made him a fit Mediator an equal and middle Person to interpose in this Difference and take up this Quarrel between God and Man Being both God and man he was concerned for both Parties and interested both in the Honour of God and the Happiness of Man and engaged to be tender of both and to procure the one by such ways as might be consistent with the other More particularly his Incarnation did fit him for those two Offices which he was to perform in his Humiliation of Prophet and Priest 1. The Office of Prophet to teach us both by his Doctrine and his Life By his Doctrine His being in the likeness of Man this made him more familiar to us He was a Prophet raised up from among his Brethren as Moses speaks and he makes this an Argument why we should hear him Should God speak to us immediately by himself we could not hear him and live God condescends to us and complies with the weakness of our Nature and raiseth up a Prophet from among our brethren We should hear him And then his being God did add Credit and Authority to what he spake he could confirm the Doctrine which he taught by Miracles Of his teaching us by his Life I shall have occasion to speak presently 2. For the Office of Priest He was fit to be our Priest because he was taken from among Men as the Apostle speaks fit to suffer as being Man having a body prepared as it is Heb. 10.5 and fit to satisfie by his sufferings for the Sins of all Men as being God which put an infinite Dignity and Value upon them the sufferings of an infinite Person being equal to the offences done
3.4 Yea let God be true and every Man a Lyar. Nay the Scripture goes further does not only remove lying and false-hood and inconstancy from God but speaks of these as things impossible to the Divine Nature Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us And the Scripture doth not only in general attribute this Perfection to God but doth more particularly assure us of his Sincerity and Truth and Faithfulness Of his sincerity that he deals plainly with us and speaks what he intends that his Words are the image of his Thoughts and a true representation of his Mind God is very careful to remove this jealousie out of the Minds of Men who are apt to entertain unworthy Thoughts of God as if notwithstanding all that he hath declared he had a secret design to ruin Men therefore he interposeth his Oath for our greater assurance Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live When God speaks to us he speaks his Mind and hath no design to circumvent and possess us with Errour and Delusion if he offer Life and Happiness we may believe he is real and that if he did not intend to bestow it upon us or if there were no such thing as a future Glory he would not have declared it to us this was the temper of our Saviour who was the express image of the Father full of Grace and Truth John 14.2 In my Father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you And as the Scripture assures us of his Sincerity so of his Truth and Faithfulness in the accomplishment of all his Predictions and performance of all his Promises As for the truth of his Predictions and certain accomplishment of them the Scripture frequently useth this Proverbial Speech to assure us of the certainty of their accomplishment Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Mat. 24.35 For the Faithfulness of God in his Promises the Scripture makes frequent mention of it Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth covenant and mercy Psal 89.33 34. I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing which is gone out of my lips The Scripture doth record God's punctual and full performance of his Promises particularly of that Promise to Abraham after four hundred Years to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt and to give them the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance Gen. 15.13 the Punctual accomplishment you have recorded Ex. 12.41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty Years even the self same day it came to pass that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt see likewise Jos 21.44 45. and 23.14 1 Kings 8.56 And upon this account it is that God is so frequently in Scripture styl'd the God that keepeth covenant 1 Kings 8.23 Neh. 1.5.9.32 and in several other Places And so likewise of Predictions of evil to come God is true in fulfilling his Word 1 Sam. 15. â—9 When the Prophet had threatned Saul to rent the Kingdom from him he adds the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a Man that he should repent III. I come to remove some Objections that may be made against the truth and faithfulness of God First It is Objected against the sincerity of God and his plain dealing that he is sometimes represented in Scripture as inspiring Prophets with false Messages 1 Kings 22.20 c. Jer. 4.10.20.7 Ezek. 14.9 Ans As to three of these Texts it is a known Hebraism to express things in an imperative and active form which are to be understood only permissively So where the Devils besought Christ that he would suffer them to enter into the herd of Swine he said unto them go Mat. 8.31 He did not command but permit them And so John 13.27 where our Saviour says to Judas what thou dost do quickly we are not to understand that he commanded him to betray him tho' that seem to be exprest in the form So likewise here where an evil spirit offer'd himself to be a lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophet and God says go forth and do so this only signifies a permission not a command And so Jer. 4.10 where the Prophet complains that God had greatly deceived the People saying they should have peace when the sword reached to the Soul we are to understand this no otherwise but that God permitted the false Prophets to deceive them by Prophesying Peace to them as appears by the History Ezek. 14.9 I the Lord have deceived that Prophet that is permitted him to be deceived and to deceive the People as a just judgment upon them for their Infidelity with respect to his true Prophets This he threatens at the 5 th v. I will take the house of Israel in their own heart because they are all estranged from me through their idols because they have chosen to themselves false gods I will suffer them to be deceived with false Prophets and that this is the meaning appears by the threatning added and I will stretch out my hand upon him and I will destroy him from the midst of my people now God will not punish that whereof he is the Author That Text Jer. 20.7 Thou hast deceived me and I was deceived signifies no more but that he had mistaken the Promise of God to him who when he gave him his Commission told him he would be with him by which he understood that no evil should come to him and now he was become a derision and the people mocked him and in his passion and weakness he breaks forth into this expression thou hast deceived me and I was deceived whereas it was his own mistake of the meaning of God's promise which was not that he should not meet with scorn and opposition and persecution but that they should not prevail against him as you may see at the latter end of the first Chapter Seconâ— Objection against the Faithfulness of God as to performance of his promise 'T is Objected that God did not give the Children of Israel all the land which he promised to Abraham as will appear by comparing Gen. 18.19 20. with Josh 13.1 c. and Judg. 2.20 21. Gen. 15.18 God promiseth to give Abraham and his seed such a Land the bounds whereof he describes Josh 13.1 'T is said there that there remained very much land yet unconquer'd which they had not got the possession of And Judg. 2.20 't is said that the People having not
upon the Account of any one of these simple Qualities then we would another Man destitute of these upon the account of a Hundred Titles of Honour and Ten Thousand Acres of Land A Wicked and Unholy Man he is a vile Person who deserves to be contemned and a holy man he is the right honourable Psal 15.4 In whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. The vile person is opposed to him that fears the Lord. He that is bold to affront God and sin against him is the base and ignoble Person God himself who is possest of all Excellency and Perfection and therefore knows best how to judge of these he tells us how we should value our selves and others Jer. 9.23 24. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness judgment and righteousness in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. To know these Divine Qualities and Perfections signifies here to understand them so as to imitate them I do not speak this to bring down the value of any that are advanced in this World or to lessen the respect which is due to them I would have nothing undervalued but Wickedness and Vice and I would have those who have store of worldly Advantages to recommend them to add Religion to their Riches and Holiness to their Honour that they may be current for their intrinsick value rather than for the Image and Picture of worth which the World hath stampt upon them 3. If Holiness be the Chief Excellency and Perfection of the Divine Nature then what an absurd and unreasonable thing is it to scorn and despise Holiness to mock and deride men under this very Title The World is much blinded that they do not see the great Evil of Sin and the Beauty and Excellency of Holiness but that Men should be so infatuated as to change the nature of things and to mistake things of so vast difference as sin and Holiness to call Good evil and evil Good that sin which is the vilest thing in the World should be esteemed and cherish'd and accounted a piece of gallantry and reckon'd amongst the excellencies and accomplishments of Humane Nature and Holiness which is so great a Perfection should be a Name of hatred and disgrace to be contemned and persecuted that that which is the Glory of Heaven and the most radiant Perfection of the Divine Nature should be matter of scorn and contempt as the Apostle speaks in another case Behold ye Despisers and wonder and perish Do ye think the Holy and Just God will put up these Affronts and Indignities Ye do not only despise men but ye despise God also You cannot contemn that which God accounts his glory without reviling the Divine Nature and offering despite to God himself The malice reacheth Heaven and is level'd against God whenever ye slight Holiness 4. If God be a Holy God and hath such a repugnancy in his Nature to sin then this is matter of terror to wicked Men. The Holy God cannot but hate sin and be an Enemy to wickedness and the hatred of God is terrible We dread the hatred of a great Man because where hatred is back'd with power the Effects of it are terrible But the Hatred of the Almighty and Eternal God is much more dreadful because the Effects of it are greater and more lasting than of the hatred of a weak mortal man We know the utmost they can do they can but kill the body after that they have no more that they can do they cannot hurt our Souls they cannot follow us beyond the Grave and pursue us into another World But the Effects of God's Hatred and Displeasure are mighty and lasting they extend themselves to all Eternity for who knoweth the Power of his Anger Who can tell the utmost of what Omnipotent Justice can do to sinners It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God because he that lives for ever can punish for ever We are miserable if God do not love us Those words my soul shall have no pleasure in him signifie great misery and express a dreadful Curse but it is a more positive Expression of misery for God to hate us that signifies Ruin and Destruction to the utmost Psal 5.4 5. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee This is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and expresseth less than is intended God is far from being of an indifferent negative Temper towards sin and wickedness therefore the Psalmist adds thou hatest all the workers of iniquity and then in the next verse to shew what is the effect of God's Hatred thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing Therefore Sinner fear and tremble at the thoughts of God's Holiness 5. Imitate the Holiness of God this is the Inference here in the Text be ye holy for I am holy Holiness in one word contains all the imitable Perfections of God and when it is said be ye holy 't is as much as if he had said be ye Good and Patient and Merciful and True and Faithful for I am so Therefore Religion is call'd the knowledge of the holy one Prov. 9.10 and Chap. 30.3 And our imitation of God is exprest by our putting on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4.24 Seeing then this is the chief Excellency and Perfection of God and the sum of all the Perfections which we are to imitate and wherein we are to endeavour to be like God let us conform our selves to the holy God endeavour to be habitually holy which is our conformity to the Nature of God and actually holy which is our conformity to the Will of God I will not enlarge upon this because I have prest the imitation of these particular Perfections Goodness Patience Justice Truth and Faithfulness upon other Texts I shall only mention two Arguments to excite and quicken our Desires and Endeavour after Holiness 1. Holiness is an imitation of the highest Excellency and Perfection Holiness I told you signifies a separation from Sin and Vice and all moral Imperfection and consequently doth comprehend and take in all the moral Perfections of the Divine Nature the Goodness and Mercy and Patience and Justice and Veracity and Faithfulness of God now these are the very Beauty and Glory of the Divine Nature The first thing that we attribute to God next to his Being is his Goodness and those other Attributes which have a necessary connexion with it for his Greatness and Majesty is nothing else but the Glory which results from his united Perfections especially from his Goodness and those Perfections which are akin to it Separate from God these Perfections which