ON THE PERFECTIONS OF GOD
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I NEED not say to you that just views of the Divine character lie at the foundation of all true religion. Without them, it is impossible, in the nature of things, to love God, or to perceive the fitness of our being required to love him, or the evil of not loving him, or the necessity of such a Saviour and such a salvation as the gospel reveals. We may be terrified by the fear of the wrath to come, and delighted with the hope of escaping it through Christ; but if this terror and this hope have no respect to the character of God, as holy, just, and good, there can be no hatred of sin as sin, nor love to God as God, and consequently no true religion. "This is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." God is a Spirit, and cannot be known by sense, nor by any means but those in which he has been pleased to manifest himself. These are his works and his word. Every thing that meets our eyes, or accosts our ears, in heaven or in earth, is full of his glory. "The invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead;" so that were there no other revelation of himself, this were sufficient to leave sinners without excuse. But besides this silent mode of manifesting himself, God has displayed himself by his word. Even in a state of innocence, man was governed by the revealed will of his Creator; and the revelation of God, from first to last, manifests the glory of his perfections.
The perfections of God require to be distinguished into natural and moral: the former respect his greatness, the latter his goodness; or, more particularly, the one refers to his infinite understanding, his almighty power, his eternity, immensity, omnipresence, immutability, &c.; the other, to his purity, justice, faithfulness, goodness, or, in one word, to his holiness. The former are necessary to render him an object of respect, the latter of love, and both together of holy fear. The natural perfections of God are principally manifested in the creation and providential government of the world; his moral perfections in the creation, moral government, and salvation of intelligent beings. The former are glorious as connected with the latter, but the latter are glorious in themselves. Power and knowledge, and every other attribute belonging to the greatness of God, could they be separated from his righteousness and goodness, would render him an object of dread, and not of love; but righteousness and goodness, whether connected with greatness or not, are lovely.
Correspondent with this is what we are taught of the "image of God" in the soul of man; it is partly natural and partly moral. The moral image of God, consisting in "righteousness and true holiness," was effaced by sin; but the natural image of God, consisting in his rational and immortal nature, was not. In this respect, man, though fallen, still retains his Creator’s image, and therefore cannot be murdered or cursed without incurring his high displeasure, Gen. ix. G; James iii. 9.
The same distinction is perceivable in the humiliation and exaltation of Christ. He emptied or disrobed himself; he laid aside his glory for a season: yet not his goodness, but his greatness: not his purity, justice, faithfulness, or holiness; but the display of his eternity, supremacy, immensity, wisdom, power, omniscience, and omnipresence becoming a mortal man, subject to his parents, supported by the ordinary aliments of life, and ascribing his
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doctrine and miracles to the Father. It was thus that, "being rich, he became poor, that through his poverty we might be made rich." And this it is that accounts for the ascriptions given him after his exaltation: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." Each of these terms has respect to that glory of which he had disrobed himself, and with which he was therefore worthy now to be doubly invested.
As it is not talent, but morality, that constitutes character among men, so it is not the natural, but the moral perfections of God, which properly constitute his character. Holiness is the glory of the Divine nature. Thus, when he would show Moses his glory, he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee." Yet, as greatness illustrates goodness among men, so does the greatness of God illustrate his goodness. His being "the high and lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity," illustrates the holiness of his name, and the unexampled condescension of his nature towards the poor and contrite. It is by the union of these Divine excellences that he stands opposed to all the deities of the heathen. His greatest enemies have often confessed him to be the "Most High" and "Most Holy." Hence Moses could say, "Their rock is not as our Rock, our adversaries themselves being judges."
The precepts, prohibitions, and promises of the Divine law, are a mirror in which we may perceive the moral perfections of the Lawgiver. They each express his heart; or what he loves, and what he hates. They moreover show his goodness to his creatures, granting them every thing that would do them good, and withholding nothing but that which would prove their ruin. The sum of all his requirements was love to God and one another. And as his promises to the obedient would express his love of righteousness, so his threatenings against transgressors show his great abhorrence of sin. On no other principle can we account for such tremendous curses being denounced, by a Being full of goodness, against the work of his hands. Moreover, to show that these are not mere words given out to deter mankind, without any design of carrying them into execution, but that, in all his threatenings of future punishment to the ungodly, he means what he says, he inflicts numerous and sore judgments upon his enemies, even in this world. In one instance, he destroyed, with the exception of a single family, the whole race of man which he had created. In many others, by war, by famine, by pestilence, and other means, his displeasure against sin has been expressed in almost every age. Yet has he never failed to maintain his character, as "the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and in truth." Often has he pardoned those who have sought his mercy; and even when the parties have not sought it, he has wrought for his great name's sake. These are a few of the expressions of the Divine mind; but, as Job says, they are "but a part of his ways," and exhibit only a part of his character. The only display of the Divine perfections which can be denominated perfect is in the salvation of sinners, through the obedience and death of his beloved Son. After all the preceding manifestations of his glory, it may be said, "No one hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." In his undertaking, every Divine perfection meets and harmonizes. There were, in former ages, various displays of truth and righteousness on the one hand, and of mercy and peace on the other; but there does not appear to have been a point in which they could meet and be united. If one prevailed, the other receded, or gave place. It was thus at the flood, and at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; truth and righteousness prevailed; but mercy and peace retired, leaving the transgressors to suffer. And thus, when Israel was pardoned at
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the intercession of Moses, mercy and peace prevailed; but justice was suspended. It was reserved for the only begotten of the Father to unite them in the same instance. In him "mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other."
When the appointed time was come, justice awoke and smote the Shepherd, that mercy might turn its hand towards the little ones. It is thus that every perfection in the Divine nature, natural and moral, is declared; wisdom, and power, and faithfulness, and justice, and love, and mercy all meet and blend their rays. God is "just, and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus." A greater honour is conferred on the Divine law, both as to its precept and penalty, than is sufficient to counterbalance the utmost disgrace upon it, by man’s rebellion; and a greater display afforded of the Divine displeasure against sin than if the whole world had suffered the reward of their deeds. And now love to sinners, which wrought unsolicited in the gift of Christ, flows without any impediment towards all who come unto God by him.
The struggles of justice and mercy, and the triumphs of the latter, are very affectingly represented in Jer. iii. 19, &c.; Hos. xi. 8: "But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land?" "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim I shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah I shall I set thee as Zeboim? My heart is turned within me, and my repentings are kindled together." In the former of these passages, it is intimated, that though God was disposed to show mercy, yet their conduct put his very perfections to the proof. In the latter, we must conceive an offended father as having hold of his son with one hand, and holding up a rod in the other, making alternate appeals, first to his own compassion, then to the conscience of the offender. Justice requires him to be delivered over to punishment, to be made as Admah, and set for an example as Zeboim. But mercy pleads in arrest of judgment, and overcomes. To such a case as this the Divine conduct towards Israel might be compared; but all this mercy, and all that followed, and all that shall yet follow, is through the atonement of Christ. His sacrifice has furnished the answers to these hard questions. ==================== [From Joseph Belcher, The Complete Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, Volume I, 1845; rpt. 1988. Document provided by David Oldfield, Post Falls, ID. -- jrd]
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