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titude,
is
an
everlasting preservative
to
holy souls
against
the
admission
óf
an
impure or unholy thought
:
and there
-
fore some divines have supposed,
that
the angels
at
their
first creation
were
put
into
a
state
of
trial
before
they
were admitted to
this full
sight
of
the
beauty
of
God
in
his holiness, which would have
secured
them from
the
least
thought
or
step towards
apostasy.
"
O
my
soul,
of
what happy importance
is
it
to
thee
to
maintain, as long aspossible, this
sense
of
the
purity,
rectitude
and perfection
of
the
nature
of
the
blessed
God,
who
is
of purer
eyes
than
to
behold iniquity,"
with
the
least
regard
of
approbation
Or
allowance
?
Hab.
is
13.
And what infinite condescension
is
it
in
such
a
God
to
find
out
and
appoint
a way
öf
grace, whereby such
shame-
ful
and polluted
creatures
as
we
are should ever
be
ad-
mitted
into
his
presence
to
make the
least
address
to
his
majesty,
or
to
hope for
his
favour.
Besides,
in
this sublime
view
of
the holiness
of
God,
we
shall
not
only love
God better than
ever, as
we
see
him more
amiable tinder
this
view
of
his
glorious
attri-
butes,
but
we
shall
grow
more sincere and fervent
in
our
love to
all
that
is
holy,
to
every
saint in
heaven
and-
on
earth
:
We
shall
not bear
any
estrangedness or alienation
from,
those
who have so
much
of
the likeness
of
God
in
them.
They
will
ever appear
to
be
"
the excellent
of
the
earth, in
whom
is
all
our
delight
;"
Ps.
xvi. 3.
Their
supposed
blemishes
will
vanish
at
the thought
cif
their
likeness to
God
in
holiness
:
And
especially our
blessed
Lord Jesus,
the Son
of God,
will be
most
preci-
ous
and
all-glorióus
in
our
eyes,
as he
is
the most perfect
image
of his
Father's
holiness.
There
is
nothing
in
the
blessed God,
but
the man Christ
Jesus
bears
a propor-
tionable
resemblance to
it,
as far
as
a creature can
resemble
God, and
he
will
consequently
be
highest in
our
esteem
under
God, the Lord and
Father
of
all.
9.
The
ever
-
pleasing
attribute
of
divine goodness
and_
love
is
another
endless and joyful theme or object
of
the
contemplation
of
the heavenly
world.
There
this
per-
fection shines
in
its
brightest
rays,
there
it displays its
moist
triumphant
glories,
and
kindles
a
flame
of
ever-
lasting
joy
in all
the sons
of
blessedness.
But
we
in
this
world may have
such glimpses
of
this
goodness and
love
as
may
fill
the
soul
with
unspeakable