So that, in our imitation of the divine perfection, we are to keep within the ftation of creatures, not affecting an independency and fovereignty 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 expreffion is in Job; but to endeavour to resemble him, pro modulo creatura, according to the rate and capacity of a creature, in thofe divine qualities, and in fuch measures and degrees, as our finite and dependent nature is ca'pable of. More efpecially and chiefly in the moral perfe tions of the divine nature, fuch as are his goodnefs, and mercy, and patience, his juftice and truth, and faithfulness; thefe, and only thefe, the fcripture feems to comprehend under the name of holiness; not all the excellencies of the divine nature in general, but thofe which we call moral excellencies and perfections, fuch as thofe which I have named; for with thefe, and hardly with any other, is the holinefs of God joined in fcripture, as holy and righteous, holy and true, &c. And therefore when God fays, Be ye holy, for I am holy; it fignifies, that we are to imitate God in his goodness, and mercy, and patience, and righteoufnefs, and faithfulness, and truth; for thefe are the holiness of the divine nature, which fet him at the greatest distance from that which we call moral impurity and fin. For that which our Saviour, here in the text, more peculiarly recommends to our imitation, is the goodnefs of God, of which his mercy and patience are two eminent branches. The mercy of God, is his goodness to thofe that are in mifery, or are liable to it. The patience of God, is his mercy in fparing those who have deferved punishment, and are liable to it. And the goodness of God is then greateft, when it is exercifed towards the evil and unthankful; those who are fo far from deferving it, that they have given great and juft provocations to the contrary. And this affectionate temper of mind, which is fo remarkable in God towards the unworthy and unthankful fons of men, our Saviour recommends to our imita Z 3 tion tion, here in the text, Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Be ye therefore-This article of inference therefore, hath a plain relation to fomething fpoken before; and if we look back to verfe 44. we shall find our Saviour there enjoining his difciples to love their enemies; to bless them that curse them; to do good to them that hate them; and to pray for thofe that despitefully use them, and perfecute 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? ver. 45. That ye may be the children of your heavenly Father, who maketh his fun to rife on the evil and the good, and bis rain to fall on the juft and on the unjust. God is good to all, and exercifeth great mercy and patience even towards the evil and unjuft. And then he concludes, that if perfection itfelf be fit to be a pattern, we fhould labour after thefe qualities; Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. So that though the univerfal perfection of the divine nature be here fuppofed, yet the attributes of his goodnefs, 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 underftood of thofe perfections which our Saviour had been difcourfing of before, viz. the goodness and mercy of God. And that this is undoubtedly fo, is evident from St. Luke's rendering this precept, chap. vi. 36. Be ye therefore ointipμoves, 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 fuch as I have defcribed God to be. And this St. Matthew calls perfection: becaufe the goodness of God, is his great perfection; and the glory of the divine nature, that which reflects a luftre and beauty upon all his other attri butes, and takes off the terror of them. From all which it is plain, what thofe perfections of the di vine nature are, which our Saviour doth here parti cularly cularly recommend to our imitation. I come now, in the Fourth and last place, To clear the true meaning of this precept; and to fhew, that the duty here required and intended by our Saviour, (when he fays, Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect) is not impoffible to us. And to this pur pofe, be pleased to confider these three or four things: 1. That our imitation of God is certainly reftrained to the communicable perfections of God, and fuch as creatures are capable of; as I have fhewn before. For it is fo far from being a duty to affect or attempt to be like God in his peculiar perfections, that it was, probably, the fin of the apoftate Angels. 2. Our imitation of the divine perfections, which are communicable to creatures, is likewife to be reftrained to fuch degrees of thefe perfections, as creatures are capable of. For no creature can ever be fo perfectly good as God is; nor partake of any other excellency in that tranfcendent degree, in which the divine nature is poffeffed of it. 3. But there is no manner of inconvenience in having a pattern propounded to us of fo great perfection, as is above our reach to attain to; and there may be great advantages in it. The way to excell in any kind, is, optima quaque exempla ad imitandum proponere, to propofe 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 lefs perfect. He that aims at the heavens, which yet he is fure to come fhort of, is like to fhoot higher than he that aims at a mark within his reach. Befides, that the excellency of the pattern, as it leaves room for continual improvement, fo 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 endea your to come as near it as he can. So that a perfect patern pattern is no hinderance, but an advantage rather to our improvement in any kind. . 4. If any thing can be fuppofed to be our duty, which is abfolutely beyond our power, a precept of this nature may with as much reafon be fuppofed to be fo, as any thing that can be inftanced in: becaufe in fuch a cafe, if we do our best, and be continually preffing forward toward 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, fuch 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 poffibility of our performance, the affurance we have of God's goodnefs will fufficiently fecure us from any danger and prejudice upon that account. And we may reasonably prefume, that to do all we can towards the fulfilling of this precept, will be as acceptable to God, and as beneficial to ourfelves, as if our power had been greater, and we had perfectly fulfilled 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 fomething towards it, we may be fure that he will be very well pleafed when he fees, that in obedience to him we have done all that we could. And we may in this cafe reafon as our Saviour does; If we that are evil would deal thus with our children, how much more shall our heavenly Father? The goodnefs of God fignifies very little, if it does not fignify this, that in any inftance of real and unqueftionable 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 fupplied on Our part, by an humble acknowledgment of our own weakness and imperfection; and on God's part, by mercy and forgivenefs, for, the fake of the perfect obedience of our bleffed Redeemer. This is the leaft benefit we can expect in this cafe cafe from the grace, and mercy, and equity of the gofpel. 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 afcending and climbing up higher, ftill advancing from one degree of goodness to another, and continually afpiring after a nearer refemblance to God: And this certainly is poffible 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 impoffible to us in this ftate of fin 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 abfolute, but in comparifon with our prefent ftate. And I think there is no great reafon to doubt, but that the blessed fpirits above, who continually behold the face of their Father, are ftill writing after this copy, which is here propounded to us; and endeavouring to be perfect, as their Father which is in heaven is perfect ; ftill afpiring after a nearer and more perfect refemblance of God, whofe goodness and mercy is fo 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 feems to be no inconfiderable ingredi ent, and enhancement of the happpinefs of heaven, that the holiness of good men (which is the fimilitude of God) is never at a ftand, nor at its full growth and period; but that the glorified faints yea and bleffed Angels too) may be continually growing and improving, and they themselves ftill become better and happier to all eternity. And this in my apprehenfion is no undervaluing the happiness of heaven, that it is not fo perfect at firft, as it fhall be afterwards; becaufe it is grant ed on all hands, that the happiness of thofe good fouls, |