cro f th Gods Attri6utes: 23 Y Lords Prief's; and Nebuchadnezzar in calling the three chil- dren into the fiery furnace, and Daniel into the lions den;but noMercy, nor Juftice, nor any thingelfe that was good. IL The fecond thing (C) to be preconfidered, is, That Juffice, Mercy, Truth, and Holineffe in God are the fame in nature with thefe virtues inmen, though infinitely differing in degree ; (as light in the aire and the funne are the fame in na - ture, not degree :) and that which is jufl, upright and mer- eifull in men, is fo in God too : And by thefevirtues in our felves withalts conformable to them, tanquam ex pede Her- cu/em, we may fafely meafurewhat are fo in God. For other- wife thefe things will follow ; x. The common and received diflinccionof Divine Attri- butes into communicableand incommunicable would fall to the ground For,againff it this might be laid, That the Holineffe, Mercy, Juf'ice, and Sincerity,with other virtues that are in us, are not the perfe&ions of God in a lower degree communica- ted to us, but things of a different nature. z: Men cannot be truly Paid to be : made according to Gods image; nor when they are regenerated ro be 6 renewed after the fameimage, and tobe C madepartakers of theDivine na- ture. That piaure cannot be the pic`lure of fuch a man, which doth not in his parts and lineaments truly refem- ble him : no more can we be truly called the pi.`lure or imageof God, if in our graces (in refpea of which we are principally fo called) there be not a lively refemblanceof Gods attributes. 3. We maynot fafely imitate God, as we are commanded, d Be ye perfeé , asyour heavenly Father isperfect : and e Be ye holy,as I amholy. Nor when we Phew forth holineße,mercy, jutlice and fincerity in our doings, can we be properly laid to imitate God,ifthefe be one thing in God and in men another. Thefe two things being thus premifed, virThat Gods Ho- lineffe, Mercy, Juf'ice and Truth are foureof his chief attri- butes, in the exercife of which he taketh himfelf tobe much , glorified; and, That we are to meafure thefe attributesby the fame virtues in our felves : I come to the proof of my fecond reafon againff abfoluteReprobation Hated even in the mildeft and mot' plaufible way. It oppofeth Gods principali Attributes ; particularly k Holineffe. Mercy. his ' Juf'ice & Sincerity. a Gen. r. z7, bCot.3:to. c z . Pet.t d Matzh.5.4S e t.Pet.t.r6 P 4 efn(xr4r>
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