Of the moral perfections of God deduced from bis goodness.

HE power and wisdom of God, toge

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ther with those attributes which are derived from them, and also those which are deduced from his being confidered as an uncaused being, may be termed his natural perfections; whereas his benevolence, and those other attributes which are deduced from it, are more properly termed his moral perfections; because they lead to fuch conduct as determines what we commonly call moral character in men.

The fource of all the moral perfections of God feems to be his benevolence; and indeed there is no occafion to fuppofe him to be influenced by any other principle, in order to account for all that we fee. Every other truly venerable or amiable attribute

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can be nothing but a modification of this. A perfectly good, or benevolent being, must be, in every other refpect, whatever can be the object of our reverence, or our love. Indeed the connection of all the moral virtues, and the derivation of them from the fingle principle of benevolence are easily traced, even in human characters.

1. If a magiftrate be benevolent, that is, if he really confult the happiness of his subjects, he must be just, or take notice of crimes, and punish the criminals. Otherwife, he would be cruel to the whole, and especially to the innocent, who would be continually liable to oppreffion, if there were no restraint of this kind.

2. But whenever an offence can be overlooked, and no injury accrue from it, either to the offender himself, or to others, the benevolence of God, as well as that of a human magiftrate, will require him to be merciful; fo that implacability, or a defire of revenging an affront, without any regard to the prevention of farther evil, must be care

fully excluded from the character of the divine being. He must delight in mercy, because he wishes to promote happiness, though he may be under the neceffity of punishing obftinate offenders, in order to reftrain vice and mifery.

There is more room for the display of mercy in the divine government than in that of men; because men, not being able to distinguish true repentance from the appearances of it, and pretences to it, must make but few deviations from general rules, left they should increafe crimes and hypocrify; whereas the fecrets of all hearts being open to God, he cannot be imposed upon by any pretences; fo that if an offender be truly penitent, and it is known to him that he will not abufe his goodness, he can receive him into favour, without apprehending any inconvenience whatever. Such cafes as thefe, how dangerous foever the precedent might be in human governments, are not liable to be abused in the perfect administration of the divine being. Juftice and mercy, therefore, are equally attributes

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of the divine being, and equally deducible from his goodness or benevolence; both, in their places, being neceffary to promote the happiness of his creation.

3. As perfect benevolence is the rule of the divine conduct, and leads him to be both juft and merciful, fo we cannot but conceive that he muft govern his conduct by every other rule that we find to be equally neceffary to the well-being of fociety, particularly that of truth, or veracity. All human confidence would ceafe if we could not depend upon one another's word; and, in those circumftances, every advantage of fociety would be loft. There can be no doubt, therefore, but that the divine being, if he should think proper to have any intercourse with his creatures, muft be equally removed from a poffibility of attempting to impose upon them.

4. As to thofe vices which arife from the irregular indulgence of our appetites and paffions, we can have no idea of the poffibility of their having any place in the divine being.

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being. We therefore conclude that he is, in all respects, boly, as well as just and good.

There are, alfo, fome evidences of the juftice and mercy of God in the course of providence. The conftitution of human nature and of the world is fuch, that men cannot long perfift in any fpecies of wickednefs without being fufferers in confequence of it. Intemperance lays the foundation for many painful and dangerous diseases. Every fpecies of malevolence and inhumanity confifts of uneafy fenfations, and exposes the perfon in whom they are predominant to the hatred and ill offices of his fellow creatures. Want of veracity destroys a man's credit in society; and all vices make men fubject to contempt, or dislike; whereas the habitual practice of the contrary virtues promotes health of body and peace of mind; and, in general, they insure to him the esteem and good offices of all those with whom he is connected.

Now, fince thefe evils which attend upon vice, and this happiness which results from virtue,