The Treatise on Religious Affections Somewhat Abridged

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824* edition. Excerpt: ...of aH 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 pi 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...