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III. Truly gracious affections are founded on a love of divine things, for their moral beauty or holiness.

It may be observed, that the word moral is not to be understood here according to the common acceptation of the term, referring merely to an outward conformity to the moral law, and especially to the duties of the second table, or to those apparent virtues which proceed wholly from natural principles. The moral excellency of an intelligent being is seated in the heart, or will: it is holiness of disposition. He whose will is truly right, is morally good or excellent. The holiness of God is the same as the moral excellency of the divine nature, comprehending all his moral perfections. Holiness in man is but the image of God.

From hence it may be easily understood what I mean when I say that a love to divine things, for their moral excellency, is the spring of all holy affections. It has been already shown, under the former head, that divine things are the object of all holy affections, on account of their transcendant excellency. I now proceed further, and say, that that kind of excellency of divine things which is the spring of all holy affections, is their MORAL excellency, or their HOLINESS. Holy persons, in the exercise of holy affections, love divine things primarily for their holiness. They love God, in the first place, on account of his holiness, or moral perfections. Not that the saints, in the exercise of gracious affections, love God only on account of his holiness: all his attributes are amiable and glorious in their view. His holiness, however, is the prin

cipal and leading object of their regard. Here it is that true love to God begins. This is the most essential and distinguishing circumstance belonging to a holy affection for God. Love to him on account of his moral perfections, necessarily produces delight in all his attributes. His moral perfections cannot exist without his natural perfections; for infinite holiness supposes infinite wisdom, and every attribute of God implies the existence of all the rest.

Moral excellency or holiness constitutes the real loveliness of all intelligent beings. Herein consists the loveliness of the angels, without which, with all their natural perfections, they would have no more loveliness than devils. Natural qualifications are either valuable or otherwise, according as they are, or are not joined with moral excellencies. Without holiness power and knowledge do not render any being more lovely, but rather more hateful; though they render him more lovely when joined with holiness. Thus the elect angels are the more glorious for their power and knowledge, because these natural perfections are sanctified by moral qualities and dispositions. The holiness of an intelligent creature is the glory of all his natural perfections. Holiness is in a peculiar manner the glory of the divine nature. This sheds a loveliness on all his other attributes. It is the glory of the wisdom of God, that it is a holy wisdom opposed to a wicked subtlety, or crafty deceit.

Hence it is that a view of the loveliness of God must begin here. No other attribute is truly lovely without this, and where this exists every other attribute cannot but be lovely; and therefore it is impossible that other attributes should appear loveiv until this is seen; nor can any perfection of the divine nature be loved with

true affection until this is loved. If the real loveliness of the divine perfections arises from the loveliness of the divine holiness, then real love to the other perfections of God must arise from love to his holiness. Those who do not perceive the glory of this attribute, cannot perceive the glory of his mercy and grace; though they may be affected by them, and love them, as they have respect to their own interest; for these attributes are no part of the excellency of the divine nature, any further than as they stand connected with his holiness, or as they form a part of his moral perfections.

As the loveliness of the divine nature primarily consists in the holiness of that nature, so does the beauty of all divine things consist in their holiness. The saints are lovely, because they are saints, or holy ones. The moral image of God in them constitutes their beauty and holiness. The Christian religion is excellent, because, above all other religions, it is a holy religion. The word of God is excement, because it is a holy word. "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether; more to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb." Psalm 19: 9, 10. The Lord Jesus is infinitely amiable-the chief among ten thousands, and altogether lovely; because he is the Holy One of God. Acts, 3: 14. All the gracious beauties of his human nature-his meekness-his patience-his love to God and to man-his condescension to the mean and vile-his compassion to the miserable, are included in his holiness. And the glory of his

divine nature, of which the loveliness of his human nature is the image and reflection, also primarily consists in his holiness. The Gospel is glorious, because

it is a holy Gospel, and a bright emanation of the holy attributes of God. The doctrines of the Gospel are glorious, because they are holy doctrines, or doctrines according to godliness. The way of salvation is glorious, because it is a holy way. Heaven is glorious, because it is the Holy City, the Holy Jerusalem. Rev 212, 10. It is therefore primarily on account of this kind of excellency that the saints love all these things. In considering the first distinguishing characteristic of gracious affections, I observed that there is communicated to those who are regenerated, a new spiritual taste, different in the whole of its nature from any former sensation of the mind; and that something is perceived in spiritual and divine things by a real saint, in the exercise of this new taste, as entirely different from any thing that is perceived in them by natural men, as the taste of honey is different from the idea of it obtained through the medium of sight or feeling. Now, the beauty of holiness is that, in spiritual and divine things, which is perceived by this spiritual sense. The Scriptures often represent the beauty of holiness as the chief object of a gracious taste: "I have meat to eat," said Jesus Christ, "that ye know not of my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." John, 4: 32, 34. I know of no part of the Holy Scriptures in which the nature and evidence of true godliness are delineated with so much clearness as in the 119th Psalm. The Psalmist declares his design at the commencement of the psalm, and keeps that design in view all along to the end. The law of God, that grand expression of the holiness of the divine nature, is every where represented as the food and entertainment-the great object of the love and rejoicing of the gracious soul.

A holy love has a holy object. The holiness of love is the love of that which is holy on account of its holiness; so that the holiness of the object is the quality on which it fixes and terminates. A holy nature must love that in divine things chiefly which is most agreeable to itself; and that in divine things, which above all others is agreeable to a holy nature, is holiness.

Again; a holy nature undoubtedly loves holy things on account of that for which sinful nature hates them; and that for which sinful nature hates them is their holiness. It is for this that the carnal mind is enmity against God, against the law of God, and against the people of God. Now it is accurate arguing to argue from opposites, that is, from opposite causes to opposite effects; from opposite natures to opposite tendencies. Holiness is directly opposite to wickedness, and therefore, as it is the nature of wickedness to hate and oppose holiness, so it must be the nature of holiness to love and delight in holiness.

In heaven, where its true tendency is best ascertained, the holiness of divine things is what principally attracts the holy nature of the saints and angels. This is the divine beauty which chiefly engages the attention, admiration, and the praises of the Seraphim: "And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah, 6: 3. They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." Rev. 4: 8. The glorified saints are engaged in the same way. "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy." Rev. 15: 4.

The Scriptures represent the saints on earth as adoring God chiefly on this account. When they praise

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