So that, in our imitation of the divine perfection, we are to keep within the station of creatures, not affecting an independency and fovereignty like the Most High, and to be omnipotent as he is; ta 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 creatura, 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 perfeEtions of the divine nature, such as are his goodnefs, and mercy, and patience, his justice and truth, and faithfulness; these, and only these, the scripture feems 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 joined in scripture, as holy and righteous, holy and true, &c. And therefore when God fays, 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 fin. 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 mercy of God, is his goodness to those that are in misery, or are liable to 1t. 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 affectionate temper of mind, which is so remarkable in God towards the unworthy and unthankful fons of men, our Saviour recommends to our imita 23 tion 4 Ser. 131 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 something spoken before; and if we look back to verse 44. we shall find our Saviour there enjoining 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 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 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 patience even towards the evil and unjust. And then he concludes, that if perfection itself 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 discoursing of before, viz. the goodness and mercy of God. And that this is undoubtedly so, is evident from St. Luke's rendering this precept, chap. vi. 36. Be ye therefore οἰκτίρμονες, 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 terror of them. From all which it is plain, what those perfections of the divine nature are, which our Saviour doth here particularly cularly recommend to our imitation. I come now, in the Fourth 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 confider these three or four things : 1. That our imitation of God is certainly restrained to the communicable perfections of God, and fuch 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 fin of the apoftate Angels. 2. Our imitation of the divine perfections, which are communicable to creatures, is likewise to be restrained 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 possessed 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 quæque 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 fure 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 patern pattern is no hinderance, but an advantage rather to our improvement in any kind. 4 If any thing can be supposed to be our duty, which is abfolutely beyond our power, a precept of this nature may with as much reafon be supposed to be so, as any thing that can be instanced in: because in fuch a case, 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 goodness will fufficiently secure 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 ourselves, 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 pleased when he fees, 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 fignify 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 supplied on our part, by an humble acknowledgment of our own weakness and imperfection; and on God's part, by mercy and forgiveness, for the fake of the perfect obedience of our bleffed Redeemer. This is the least benefit we can expect in this cafe 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 afcending 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 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 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 afpiring 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 inconfiderable ingredient, and enhancement of the happpiness of heaven, that the holiness of good men (which is the fimilitude of God) is never at a stand, nor at its 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 apprehenfion is no undervaluing the happiness of heaven, that it is not so perfect at firit, as it shall be afterwards; because it is granted on all hands, that the happiness of those good fouls, |