SERM.

V.

SERMON V.

The Sanctity and moral Government of God.

HAB. I. 13.

Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold Evil, and canft not look on Iniquity.

T

HE Appearances of Power, Defign, and Wisdom, are so very clear and vifible in the Conftitution of the World, that almost All who confider it with any Attention, acknowledge it to be the Work of an almighty intelligent Agent. So far feveral Perfons, who are averfe enough to the Notion of any fuperior Nature in the Universe, advance in the Principles of Theifm, merely by the Force of an Evidence, which is not to be contradicted, or evaded by them. And fuch Men can the more eafily reconcile themfelves to the Belief of Power, Activity, and Intelligence in the Origin and Caufe

V.

Cause of Things, as they apprehend that SER M. these Properties imply no moral Dominion or Government over Mankind, that they do not determine the Being who poffeffes them, either to approve, or difapprove of one fort of Affections, or one certain Tenor of Conduct, more than of their Contraries, but leave him quite indifferent to what is called Virtue and Vice among Men; fo that all Notions of deferving well or ill at his Hands, and all Expectations of Rewards, or Punishments from him, in Confequence of our Behaviour, are altogether vain and delufive.

And indeed if we conceived the Deity to be only a powerful intelligent Being, without any moral Qualities and Perfections, let his natural Power and Understanding be supposed ever so independent and infinite, it is certain that his Character would be but very little interesting to us. We might eafily fee that fuch a Being could make us happy, or miferable, as he thought fit; but as we fuppofed him to be, void of all Sanctity, Righteoufnefs, and moral Goodness; that there was no Principle in him which could move him to regard our Temper and Behaviour, or make him either pleased, or displeased with our Conduct, in whatever I 4 Way

SERM. Way we ordered it, we should think ourIV. felves to be no way concerned with him,

and never act either from the Love, or Fear of him at all. The natural Attributes of God are abfolutely neceffary to the Perfection of his Nature, to his being an Agent, to his Creating and Governing the World at all; but taken alone, they are far from finishing his Character: What compleats his Glory, and exhibits him to us as the most perfect Agent, and renders him, in the most affecting Sense our Governor, is his possessing, in Conjunction with the highest Power, Wisdom, and Knowledge, all moral Excellencies, and particularly a perfect Sanctity or Holiness of Nature, which fets him at the greatest Distance from all moral Evil, which makes him neceffarily to approve of Virtue, and adhere to it in his own Conduct and Administration, and likewife to approve and love it in his rational Creatures, and to disapprove and hate the Contrary in them. It is plain, that if this Property belongs to God, as it must greatly heighten our Idea of his Excellence, fo it naturally points him out as the Governor of Mankind, confidered as rational and moral Agents; as a Being, who will certainly obferve and animadvert upon our Temper

and

V.

and Conduct, who will be pleased with SER M. our Goodness, and offended with our Wickedness, and make us moft fenfibly feel the Effects of his Approbation, or Condemnation. Now as it must be a Matter of the greatest Confequence to be convinced that this Perfection of Sanctity, including a Discernment, Approbation, and Love of Virtue, and a Perception, Diflike, and Hatred of Vice, really belongs to the Divine Nature, I shall, in the remaining Part of this Difcourfe, Firft, Confider upon what Grounds this Perfection is to be afcribed to God; and afterwards make fome important Reflections, which will offer themselves to us upon this Subject,

As for the Grounds or Reasons, upon which this Perfection of Sanctity is to be ascribed to the Deity: Some have thought that the Holinefs, Goodness, and all the other moral Perfections of God, have a neceffary Connexion with his natural Attributes, and may be deduced from the Idea of his Independency, almighty Power, and infinite Knowledge; but as the Reasoning which is commonly used upon this Argugument, whatever Force there may be really in it, is by no Means clear and convin

SERM. cing to many who have confidered it, I V. fhall not here enter into it, but endeavour

to prove the Sanctity of the Divine Nature, by fome other Confiderations more familiar and natural, and of more eafy Comprehenfion to any plain attentive Mind.

As we are almost neceffarily led to form our Ideas of the Powers and Perfections of all fuperior Natures, by fome Refemblance, or Analogy, to what we efteem most excellent and perfect in Ourfelves; let us, firft, confider, whether there is any Thing in our own Conftitution, which may be the Foundation of our afcribing the Perfection of Sanctity to the fupreme Being. It is plain, that among feveral Powers and Principles implanted in our Minds, we have one which gives us the Ideas of Virtue and Merit, in certain Difpofitions and Actions of rational Agents, and of Vice and Ill-defert, in others of them; which makes us to esteem and delight in the one fort, and to condemn and abhor the other. is a Fact which feems to be as certain from our Consciousness and Experience, as that we have a bodily Eye to diftinguish between Light and Darkness, or a Tafte which furnishes us with the different Senfations of Sweet and Bitter. And when

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