i4,t The third -Sign PART III. there is a Diffinetion to be made between the natural Good that Men are poffeffed of, and their moral Good ; and alto between the natural and moral Good of the Angels in Heaven : the great Capaci- ty of their Underftandings, and their great Strength, and the honou- rable Circumftances they are in as the great Miniffers of God's Kingdom, whence they are called Thrones,Dominions, Principalities, and Powers, is the natural Good which they are poffeffed of ; but their perfea and glorious Holinefs and Goodnefs, their pure and flaming Love to God, and to the Saints, and one another, is their moral Good. So Divines make a Diffintion between the natural and moral Perfeaions of God : By the moral Perfections of God, they mean thofe Attributes which God exercifes as a moral Agent, or whereby the Heart and Will of God are good, right, and infi- nitely becoming, and lovely ; fuch as his Risght=eoufiuefs, Truth, Faithfulnefs, and Goodnefs ; or, in one Word, his Holinefs, By God's natural Attributes or Perfections, they mean thofe Attri- butes, wherein, according to our\Vay -of conceiving of God,confi ls, not the Holinefs or moral Goodnefs of God, but his Greatnefs ; fuch as his Power, his Knowledge whereby he knows all Things, and his being eternal, from everlafling to everlafting, hisOmniprefence,and his awful and terrible Majeffy. The moral Excellency of an intelligent voluntary Being, is more immediately feated in the Heart or Will of moral Agents. That in- telligent Being whole Will is truly right and lovely, he is morally good or excellent. This moral Excellency of an intelligent Being, when it is true.and real, and not only external, or 'needy Seeming and Counterfeit, is f-Ioi'in fs. Therefore i-olinef comprehends all the true moral Ex- cellency of intelligent Beings : There is no other true Vertue, but real Holine/s. Holinefs comprehends all the true Vertue of a good Man, his Love to God, his gracious Love to Men, his Juflice, his Charity, and Bowels of Mercies, his gracious Meeknefs and Gentle - nels, and all other true chriffian Vertues that he has, belong to his :Holinefs. So the Holinefs of God in the more extenfive Senfe of the Word, and the Senfe in which the Word is commonly, if not uni- verfally ufed in Scripture, is the fame with the moral Excellency of the divine Nature, or his Purity and -Beauty as a moral Agent, com- prehending all his moral Perfe&ions, his Righteoufnefs, Faithfulnefss and Goodnefs. As in holy Men their Charity, chriftian Kindnefa and Mercy, belongs to their Holinefs ; fo the Kindnefs and Mercy of God, belongs to his Holinefs. . Holinefs in Man, is but the image of God's Holinefs : There are not more Vertues belonging to the image, than are in the Original : Derived Holinefs has not more in, it, than is is that underived Holinefs, which is its Fountain : There is
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=