2. It is a divine nature ; that is, not only such as floweth from God, but may carry some resemblance with him or to him. It fioweth from God, for we are ' partakers ;' it is but a ray from his excellency, and it carrieth a likeness to him, or cometh nearer to the nature of God himself, than anything that a man is capable of Now this is said for two reasons : —
[1.] To show the dignity of it. Nothing known to man is so like God as a sanctified soul. The saints have their Maker's express image ; therefore if God be excellent and holy, they are so. The image and picture of God and Christ is in them, not made by a painter or carver, but by the Holy Ghost, 2 Cor. iii. 18. This is not a forbidden image, which may pollute and stain our minds, or form in us ill thoughts and conceptions of God, but raise our hearts to him. Natural conscience doth liomage to the image of God shining in the saints: Mark vi. 20, ' Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and a holy.' So of Moses it is said, E.\od. xi. 3, ' Moses was a great man in the land of Egypt, and in the sight of Pharaoh's ser- vants, and in the sight of all people.' His ])erson and ])rescnce was awful to them, as having something rare in it. There is a secret
2 Pet. I. 4.] the fourth sermon. 217
sentiment of the excellency of holiness that draweth eyes after it, and maketh wicked and carnal men wonder at it, stand in awe of those in whom it is eminent, and extorteth a reverence from them. But espe- cially when they come to die they have a sense of this excellency ; all then approve a sober, righteous, and godly life, and disallow tlir-t which is dissolute and carnal. Then all things appear in their own colours, and the fumes of lust being dissipated, they begin more clearly to discern the happiness of those who are made like God. Then those that would live with the carnal would fain die with the righteous : Num. xxiii. 10, ' Let my last end be like liis.' When entering on the confines of eternity they grow wiser.
[2.] To show the quality and condition of it. You must have a new nature, and such a nature as may be a divine nature. If you have nothing above natural men or corrupt nature, you are strangers to the promises of the gospel. It is a thought that possesseth many when they are pressed to Christian duties, they will say, we are not saints or angels, and therefore cannot abstain from such sins, or attain unto a heavenly life. But do you mark what is said here : Christians must be partakers of a divine nature ; and not only they are cut off from any privilege by Christ ' who corrupt themselves as brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed,' Jude 10— that is, against the light of nature ingulf themselves in all manner of dissoluteness and sensu- ality ; but also they that walk as men, only according to the rule of men, who mind nothing beyond the present world : 1 Cor. iii. 3, ' Are not ye carnal, and walk as men ? ' — that is, they are not raised above the pitch of mere men, and have nothing of the Spirit of God in them.
[3.] This divine nature may be considered three ways. Either — (1.) As begun ; when we are first ' renewed in the spirit of our minds,' and regenerated ' according to the image of God,' Eph. iv. 23, 24. There is a wonderful change wrought in sinners by reason of the divine qualities impressed on them ; so that the creature begin- neth to look like God himself : their nature is altered, their course of life is altered, and their designs and actions have something divine in them.
(2.) As increased ; when more like God in a conspicuous degree. At first the impression is but weak, and this glory is darkened by remaining imperfections ; and we show forth much of Adam upon all occasions, as well as somewhat of Christ. But where any are sincere and diligent, the old nature is more suppressed and curbed, and the divine nature doth more eminently appear : 2 Cor. iii. 18, ' We are changed from glory to glory.' It is a work capable of spiritual pro- gress. We should grow more like God, and come nearer to the nature of God every day ; and it is a shame we are not, having been so long acquainted with the word.
(3.) As it is perfected in heaven ; for there we have the nearest communion with God, and so the highest conformity to him that we are capable of : 1 John iii. 2, ' We shall see God as he is, and be like him.' Perfectly like him ; for the being of sin is then utterly abolished: there is not the least stain or blemish upon a glorified soul. Besides, then we are like him, not only in point of holiness.
218 THE FOURTH SKRMON. [2 PeT. I. 4.