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SERMON VIII.

Of imitating the HOLINESS of
GOD.

1 PET. i. 15, 16.

But as he which hath called you, is
Holy; fo be ye Holy, in all man-
ner of Converfation; Because it
is written, Be ye holy, for I am
boly.

OTWITHSTANDING the natu- SER M.
ral Proneness of Mankind to VIII.
Superftition; and the ftrong
Bent which is in all cor-
rupt Minds to endeavour to

make amends, by formal and external
Services,

M 4

SER M. Services, for the want of true Virtue and VIII. Holiness of Life; yet even in the Heathen

World itself, under the bare Light of Nature alone, the best and wifeft men were fenfible of this great Truth, that the most acceptable Service which could be paid to God, was to indeavour to become like him by a righteous Temper and Difpofition of Mind. The Revelation which God has been pleased to make to us of himself in Scripture, does every where confirm this Notion; and almost the whole Defign, both of the Antient Prophets under the Law, and of all our Saviour's Difcourses in the Gofpel, is to establish the fame Doctrine: As he which hath called you, is Holy; fo be Ye Holy, in all manner of Converfation. In the following Dif courfe upon which words, I fhall 1st briefly fet forth the Obligations we are under to imitate the God whom we worship. 2dly, I fhall confider the true Extent, and proper Limitations of This Duty. And 3dly, I fhall draw fome ufeful Obfervations from the whole.

I, I SHALL briefly fet forth the Obligations we are under, whom we worship.

to imitate the God The Difference of

meral

moral Good and Evil, is, in the nature of SER M. VIII. things, eternally, effentially, and unchangeably neceffary. Juft as Light and Darkness are of neceffity always contrary to each other, and can by no Power be made to be the fame. With regard to this neceffary and unalterable difference of Good and Evil; the Will of God, who can never be impofed upon by any Errour, is constantly and invariably determined to do always what in the whole is beft and fittest to be done, according to the everlasting Rules of Juftice, Equity, Goodness and Truth. This, is the Ground and Foundation of all God's own Actions in the Government of the Universe. Now the fame intrinfick Excellency of Right and Good, which always determines the Will of God Himself, ought alfo in Proportion to govern the Actions of all other rational Beings likewife, according to the degree of their Knowledge of what is right, and of their Power to perform it. That is to fay; All rational and intelligent Beings are, by the Law of their Nature, obliged to indeavour to become in their feveral degrees and proportions like unto Him, who a

lone

VIII. ing.

SERM.lone is Perfect Reason and UnderstandThis is an original Obligation, founded in Nature itself, requiring us to imitate what it neceffitates us to admire. And this Obligation is confirmed by the fame Light of Reason, teaching us further, that Imitation of God, as 'tis most fit in itfelf, fo it cannot but be likewise most acceptable unto Him, and agreeable to his Will. For the fame abfolute Perfection of the Divine Nature, which makes us certain that God muft Himself be of Neceffity infinitely Holy, Juft and Good; makes it equally certain that he cannot poffibly approve Iniquity in Others: And the fame Beauty, the fame Excellency, the fame Weight and Importance of the Rules of everlasting Righteousness, with regard to which God is always pleafed to make thofe Rules the Measure of all his Own Actions, neceffarily prove, that it must likewife be his Will, that all rational Creatures fhould proportionably make them the Measure of Theirs. Even among Men, there is no Earthly Father, but in those things which he esteems his own Excellencies, defires and expects to be imitated by his children. How much

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