Serra LXXVÍÍ. of the Divine Perfecui&n.!, without any flaw or blemilh, alluding to precious Stones, the greateft contmen dation of which is to be clear and without flaw. Reltgio eft imitari quern colis', this is Religion to imitate him whom we worship. This the Heathens by the Light of Nature did difcover to be the great End of Religión, and the belt Worfhip of the Deity, to be like God. Pythagoras was wont to fay, " That we honour " God moft, when we are moft like him in the temper and difpofition of our " Minds : and Plato. to the fame purpofe, " That the Height and Perfeélionof " Goodnefs is to refemble God, as near as is poflible; and that we refemble " God in being juft, and holy, and wife. So likewife Hierocles, " That a Good " Man imitates God in the meafures ofLove and Friendfhip, who hates no Man; " and extends his benignity to all Mankind. Plutarch hath an excellent Dif- courfe about the Patience of God towards Sinners, and gives this as one Reafon why God doth not prefently punish Offenders ; " that he might give an Example " to us of Gentlenefs and Patience, and check the fury and violence of Men in " revenging Injuries upon one another ; which nothing will do more effeétually, " than to confider that Gentlenefs and Forbearance are an imitation of the Di- " vine Perfetlion. And then he cites an excellent Saying of Plato, " That God " manifefled himfelf, and difplay'd his Perfetlions in the World for our imitation; " true Virtue being nothing elfe, but an imitation of the Divine Nature. For there is no greater Benefit Man can receive from God's Hand, than to become virtuous by the imitation and purfuit of thofe Excellencies and Perfetlions which are in God. Seneca likewife hath many paffages to this purpofe, inter viros bons ac Deum amicitia eft, imò etiam neceffitudo fimilitudo, between God and Good Men there as a friendfbip, yea and an intimacy and likenefs ; and that a virtuous Man is difcipulus cemulatorque vera progenies Dei, a Difciple andImitator, and the very genuineOff-fpring ofGod. So that the light of Nature and the Reafon of Man- kind, have always placed the perfection of Religion in the imitation of the Di- vine Excellencies and Perfetlions. And this is very agreeable to the Languageand. Senfe of the Holy Scriptures; which every where make the Practice of Religion to conuift in our Conformity to God, and the Laws which hehath given us ; whichare nothingelfe but a tran- fcript of his Nature. The great bufinefs.of Religion is to do the Will of God, and this is the Will of God, our fantlifrcation ; and our fanâification is our confor- mity to theHolinefs of God ; and this is the (cope of the general Exhortations of Scripture, to perfw,ade us to Holinefs, that is, to an imitation of the Moral Per- fetlions ofthe DivineNature. z Cor. 7. s. Having therefore theft Promifes, dearly beloved ! let us cleanfe our felves from all fslthinefs of Flefb and Spirit, andperfet? bolinefs in the fear of God. i Pet. a. a q, x6. As be whichbath called you is holy, fo be ye holy in all manner of converfation, becaufe it is written, beye holy, for Iam holy. z Pet. x. 3, 4. (peaking of the Chriftian Religion, which he calls the know- ledge of him who bath called us to glory andvirtue, whereby alfo'(lays he) are gi- ven unto us exceeding great and precious promifes, that by theft we might bepartakers of a Divine Nature, having efcaped the corruption that is in the World through lull. So that the Holinefs the Gofpel defigns to bring us to, is a participation of the Divine Nature, which we canno otherwife partake of, but by an imitationof the Divine Perfel/ions. This is that which the Scripture expreffes to us by the terms of Regeneration, the New Man, and the New Creature. And therefore thofe who are converted from a wicked and Gnful ftate, and reclaimed to goodnefs, are (aid' to put on the New Man, which after God is created in righteoufness, and the holinefs of truth. Eph. 4. z3. To be renewed after the Image of him that created us. Colofi: .3. r o. This is to be the Sons and Children of God, to imitate and refembleGod in our difpofition" andmanners. . Eph. 5. a. Be ye therefore, /t.i,,ammi 'r 9sß imitators of God, as dear Children. Philip. z. 15. Thatye may be blamelefs and fincere, the, Sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverfe Nation. t John 3. to. In this the Children of God are manifef, and the Children of the Devil, who- foever doth not righteoufnefs is not of God. There have beengreat enquiries con- cerning the Marks of a Child of God ; this is thetrueCharaéter, and that which in effe& comprehends ah others, our imitation and refemblance of Clod in thoft Jerfetlions
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