CXXX. or matter, because that would exclude feveral other S ER M. perfections; for meer matter is incapable both of knowledge and liberty,, being determined by né ceffary laws and motions; and yet without know. ledge and liberty, there can be no wisdom nor goodness. We fay of God, that he is of himfelf, and without caufe, and does not, owe, his being to any other; and confequently that he is neceffarily, and that he cannot but be, and cannot be otherwise than he is; for that which is of it felf, did not choose whether it would be or not, nor whether it would be thus or otherwife; for to fuppofe any thing to deliberate or confult, about its own being is to fuppofe it to be before it is. We, muft fay of GoD likewife, that he is immenfe, and every where prefent, because to be, limited is an imperfection; and, that he is eternal, that is, ever was, and fhall be; for to cease to be, is a greater imperfection than fometime not to.. have been. And then we are to fay 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 ftudy or deliberation, without laborious pains and endeavours, and confequently that nothing is ex, empted from his knowledge and power, and providence, and that he adminifters all things in a way of goodness and wisdom, of juftice and truth; SER M. truth; and therefore all things are to be referred CXXX. to him, as their laft end. All these perfections, and all other that are poffible, we are to look upon the divine nature as fully and immutably poffeft 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 afcribe all imaginable poffible perfections to GOD, fo we are to separate and remove all manner of imperfection from him. We must not obfcure or blemish the divine nature with the leaft fhadow or blot of imperfection. If we once admit of this, to afcribe any thing to GOD which argues imperfection, we ftrike at the foundation, and deftroy one of the clearest and most effential notions which men have of GOD. And therefore we find the fcripture very careful to remove all kinds of natural or moral imperfection from God. Gen. xviii. 25. “That "be far from thee to do after this manner, flay the righteous with the wicked, and that "the righteous fhould be as the wicked, that be "far from thee; fhall not the judge of all the "world do right?" Deut. xxxii. iv. "A GOD "of truth, and without iniquity." Rom. ix. 14. "What fhall we fay then, is there unrighteouf"nefs with GOD? GOD forbid," far be it from him. Hence it is that fcripture holiness is fo frequently afcribed to GoD, which fignifies the purity and freedom of the divine nature from that which we call fin; and GoD is very folicitous to give CXXX. give us fuch a notion of himself, as may remove SERM. fin and unrighteoufnefs at the greatest distance from him, because that is the greatest of imperfec tions. Is it an imperfection to countenance fin? the fcripture acquits GoD of it, Pfal. v. 4, 5. * Thou ❝art not a GOD that hath pleasure in wickednefs, "neither shall evil dwell with thee." Is it an imperfection to go from ones word, or to change ones mind? this likewise is removed from GOD. i Sam. xv. 29. "The ftrength of Ifrael will not lye or re"pent: he is not a man, that he fhould repent. Is it an imperfection to want any thing, to be liable to any thing, to depend upon any thing without ones felf for happiness? this also is to be fet far from him. Job xxii. 2, 3. "Can a man be profitable to God? or is it a gain to him, that "thou makeft thy way perfect?" Job xxxv. 6, 7. "If thou finneft, what doft thou against him? or "if thy tranfgreffions be multiplied, what doft thou "unto him? if thou art righteous, what givest "thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? "thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and? "thy righteousness may profit the fon of man. Is it an imperfection to tempt, or to be tempted to fin? this is to be feparated from GOD," he can❤ "not be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any "man," faith St. James, chap. i. 17. And to mention no more, is it an imperfection to be in any respect mutable? this is denied of God. "With "him there is no variableness, or fhadow of turning." Thus you fee how we are to conceive of the perfections of GOD, by afcribing all imagina. VOL. VII. G ble CXXX. SER M. ble and poffible perfections to him, and removing all fhadow of imperfection from him. I proceed in the IId place, To lay down fome rules by which we may rectify and govern our opinions concerning the attributes and perfections of GOD: the best I can think of, are thefe following. First, Let us begin with the most natural, and plain, and eafy perfections of GOD, and lay them for a foundation, and rectify all our other apprehenfions of GOD, and reafonings about him, by these; and these are his power, wisdom, and goodnefs, to which most of the reft may be reduced. Right apprehenfions and a firm belief of thefe will make it easily credible to us, that all things were made and are governed by him; for his goodnefs will difpofe and incline him to communicate being to other things, and to take care of them when they are made. And infinite power and wisdom render him able to do all this without any labour or difficulty, and without any disturbance of his ease or happiness, as Epicurus would feem vainly to fear; who in truth did not believe a GOD, but pretended only to deny his providence, and that he either made or govern'd the world, because he was loth to lay fo much trouble upon him. Vain man! as if those things which are impoffible and difficult to our weakness and folly, might not be infinitely eafy to infinite power and wisdom. Particularly the goodness and juftice of God are not fo difficult to apprehend, as the difputes and contro controverfies about them have rendered them to SER M. CXXX. many. When we confider infinite knowledge and power, we may eafily lofe our felves, and go out of our depth, by wading too far into them: there is fomething concerning these, that is unimaginable, and unaccountable to our reafon; we may not be able to understand how fomething may be produc'd from nothing, because it argues fuch an excefs of power, as we cannot comprehend; but yet we are forc'd to acknowledge, that either the world must be produc'd from nothing, or that matter was eternally of it felf, which is every whit as hard to imagine, as that infinite power should be able to produce it from nothing. So likewife we are not able to conceive, how GoD can certainly know future events, which depend upon voluntary and uncertain caufes, because we cannot apprehend infinite knowledge; but this we may easily be fatisfied in, that infinite power and knowledge may be able to do, and know many things, which we cannot conceive how they can be known or done, no more than a child can imagine how a great mathematician can demonftrate his propofitions. Only this we are fure of, as we can be of any thing, that no power can do that which is evidently impoffible, and implies a plain contradiction. We are not able perhaps to reconcile the particular providences of GOD with his univerfal goodnefs, justice, and wisdom, because we cannot fee to the end of his ways and works at one view, and fee' every part with relation to the whole; which would |