precept: And, Laftly, Conclude, by directing you to a fuitable improvement.

I. We propose, first, to show you, in what manner we are to conceive of God as perfect.

As foon as the mind of man has arrived at the exercife of reafon, and is led into inquiries concerning the Supreme Being, the first and most obvious attributes that occur to him, are, his majefty and greatnefs. These, it is true, will, at first, fill him with amazement only; but if he confiders them more attentively, they will excite his love and veneration, as involving in them fupreme goodness, and every poffible perfection. It is difficult indeed for us, who are finite and limited in our understanding, to arrive at any due apprehenfion of fuch a Being. But we should endeavour, as far as we are able, to conceive of him, as infinitely removed from every thing unworthy or immoral; from every kind and degree of imperfection; and as poffeffed of the highest degree of excellence.

1. We ought to conceive of God, as infinitely removed from every kind and degree of imperfection. Such is the constitution of the human mind, that our efteem for the Deity, and our demeanour towards him, are infallibly regulated by the ideas we have formed of his nature. If we conceive of him, as what he really is, abfolutely perfect and excellent, this will naturally produce in us, correfpondent affections of veneration and love, and promote fuch a fpiritual worship as becomes his glorious Majefty. But, to afcribe imperfection to God, to blemish his fpotlefs nature with the leaft degree of impurity, is to ftrike at the foundation of all religion; it is to deftroy the clearest and most effential notion we have of him, and to banish real virtue out of the world. Hence we find the Spirit of God, in fcripture, guarding us with the utmost care against every unworthy concep 2 A 2

tion

tion of God. There, holiness is frequently afcribed to him, and with peculiar marks of diftinction. "Thou art not a God that haft pleasure in wicked"nefs, neither fhall evil dwell with thee. Sinners "fhall not ftand in thy fight, and thou hateft the "workers of iniquity."-"Far be it from God," fays. Elihu in the book of Job, "that he should do wick"ednefs, and from the Almighty, that he fhould "commit iniquity: yea, furely God will not do wick"edly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment." He is elsewhere faid to be "a God of truth, and without iniquity. With him there is no variableness nor "fhadow of turning. What fhall we fay, then? Is "there unrighteoufnefs with God? God forbid." Many other paffages to the fame purpofe might be quoted; but these are fufficient to evince, that the divine nature is infinitely removed from every thing unworthy or immoral.

2. We ought likewife to conceive of God, as poffefied of the highest degrees of excellence and perfec

tion.

We must not pretend to confine his excellence within the narrow limits of our thoughts, as if no perfection, or degree of perfection, could belong to God, but what is conceivable by us. No; we ought to think of him as boundless and unlimited, and infinitely exceeding our higheft, conceptions. Our imagination is too circumfcribed to receive so vast an object; when we have enlarged it to the utmoft, it must ftill remain infinitely fhort of the truth. We may as well think to measure the waters in the hollow of our hand, and to mete out the heavens with a fpan, as to comprehend infinite perfection, and extend our thoughts to Divine immenfity. "Behold," fays Elihu," God

is great, and we know him not. Touching the Al"mighty, we cannot find him out. Who can by "fearching find out God? who can find out the Al"mighty to perfection? It is high as heaven, what

can we do? deeper than hell, what can we know? "the measure thereof is longer than the earth, and "broader than the fea."

We ought therefore to conceive of God, as poffef-fed of every poffible perfection. And this in fomet inftances has been dictated by nature herself. Hence the wifeft among the Heathens reprefent him as the most excellent, and perfect; the greateft, and the best of Beings. And the facred fcriptures, thofe pure and uncorrupted fountains of truth, every where afcribe perfection to God. In them, he is reprefented as a Spirit; felf-exiftent; independent; filling immenfity with his prefence; from everlafting to everlasting; the fame to day, yesterday, and for ever; fo wife, that he knows the hearts of men; fo powerful, that to him all things are poffible; fo perfectly holy, that the heavens are not clean in his fight; fo juft and righteous, that there is no iniquity with him; so true and faithful, that if he has faid it, he will certainly do it, if he has spoken it, he will make it good; and fo abundant in mercy, that, rather than we should perifh, he fent his only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our fins. In a word, the most exalted created intelligence can fimply adore the greatness of God; himfelf alone can comprehend it.

In this manner, then, we are to conceive of God,. as infinitely removed from every kind and degree of imperfection, and as poffeffed of the highest degree of excellence.

II. We now proceed to explain the true mean-ing of the precept, "Be ye perfect, as your Father: "which is in heaven is perfect."

1. We are not here required to imitate God in his peculiar perfections; fuch as, his independence, felfexiftence, the immenfity and eternity of his. Being; his omnifcience and omnipotence. Thefe naturally produce, in the mind that confiders them, the mort profound veneration, and difpofe us to worship and

2. A-3,

adore

adore the Being by whom they are poffeffed. But they are incommunicable to any created being, and therefore cannot be proposed to us as a pattern. To aim at a resemblance of God in any of thefe perfections, would be the highest arrogance, and moft intolerable prefumption. Have we an arm like God? Can we thunder with a voice like his? If we look upon the earth, will it tremble? If we touch the mountains, will they fmoke? If we command the fun, will he rife? and can we feal up the stars? No: To attempt any thing of that kind, would be to fet the Almighty at defiance, and to ufurp his throne. To fuch infufferable ambition it is owing, that the devil and his angels, thofe apoftate and accurfed fpirits, have felt the thunder of that Omnipotent hand which they attempted to imitate; and are referved in chains of darknefs, to the judgment of the great day.

2. The moral character of God, is the great pattern proposed in the text to our imitation. His holinefs, goodnefs, juftice, faithfulness, and truth, are things which we can underftand, and in which we are required to refemble him. And they are frequently fet before us in fcripture, not merely as worthy of our attention, not only to attract our efteem; but to engage us to copy after fo lovely an example; to be holy as God is holy, and perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. This is the fair and unblemished pattern fet before us; a pattern of which our minds cannot but approve; and the proper effect of this pattern, is, to excite in us the noble ambition of refembling it.

3. Even in thofe moral excellencies, we are not required to afpire at an equal degree of perfection with God. No: the highest poffible attainments of the moft exalted intelligences, are infinitely mean, in comparison of Him. The Lord God Almighty, the King of Saints, only is holy. The heavens themselves

are not clean in his fight; and his angels he charges with folly. Is it then poffible, that mortal man should attain to perfection? Is it poffible, that duft and ashes, who may fay to corruption, Thou art my father, and to the worm, Thou art my mother and fifter: Is it poffible that we, who are conceived in fin, and brought forth in iniquity; whofe faculties are fo imperfect, and whofe affections are fo depraved: Is it poffible that we should arrive at an equal degree of perfection with our Maker? No; if we should justify ourselves, our own mouths would condemn us; if we fhould fay we are perfect, they alfo would prove us perverfe. An equality with God, in his moral perfections, is not to be attained, either by the fpirits of juft men made perfect, or the highest angels in heaven; and, therefore, fuch equality cannot be intended by the text.

But that which our Saviour requires, is a fincere and prevailing love to God; and, as the genuine effects of it, a vigorous imitation of Him, in his moral perfections.

The affection of love to God arifes in the mind, from the confideration of Infinite, goodness, directed by the most perfect wisdom, having always for its object the happiness of its creatures. Hence, the higheft opinion of the worth and excellence of the Divine nature, is abfolutely neceffary to kindle this heavenly affection in the heart. And hence, alfo, the welldifpofed mind is induced to follow fuch a perfect cha ́racter, and fecretly wishes for the poffeffion of the fame qualities. But it is the affurance, or, at least, the hope of an intereft in his favour, that begets our warmeft affections. It is the contemplation of him as the Father of mercies, as our God reconciled in Chrift, that excites our most affectionate esteem, and infpires us with the wish of refembling him. For love is an alfimilating principle, which produces on the foul a réfemblance of its object. When the love of God is

fhed