4. This is the sum of the covenant of God with man, "I will be thy God, and thou shalt be my people." And the other parts of the covenant, "that Christ be our Saviour, and the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier," are both subservient unto this; there being now no coming unto God, but as reconciled in Christ our Mediator, and by the teaching and drawing of the Holy Ghost. To be our God, is to be to us an absolute Owner, a most righteous Governor, and a most bountiful Benefactor or Father; as having created us, redeemed and regenerated us; and this according to his most blessed nature, properties, and perfections.
5. It is not only a loose and inconstant effect of your particular thoughts of God, that is the necessary impress of his attributes (as to fear him, when you remember his greatness and justice): but it must be a habit or holy nature in you, every attribute having made its stated image upon you; and that habit or image being in you, a constant principle of holy, spiritual operations. A habit of reverence, belief, trust, love, &c. should be, as it were, your nature.
6. Not that the knowledge of God in his perfections, should provoke us to desire his properties and perfections: for to have such an aspiring desire to be gods, were the greatest pride and wickedness. But only we must desire, (1.) To be as like God, in all his communicable excellencies, as is agreeable to our created state and capacity. (2.) And to have as near and full communion with him, as we can attain to and enjoy.
7. The will of God, and his goodness, and holiness, are more nearly propounded to us, to be the rule of our conformity, than his power, and his knowledge. Therefore his law is most immediately the expression of his will; and our duty and goodness lie in our conformity to his law; being holy as he is holy.
Because I may not stand on the particulars, I shall give you a brief, imperfect scheme of that of God, which you must thus know.
God is to be known by us
I. As in Himself.
{1. One; and I. In his {indivisible: {[a]1. The BEING: {in Three { FATHER, {[b]1. Necessary,} _Quod {Persons.[a] {2. The SON, {2. Independent, } sit._ {2. Immense: and {3. The HOLY {3. Immutable. } {incomprehensible. { GHOST. {3. Eternal.[b]
{1. Simple: uncompounded. {A SPIRIT {2. Impassionate, incorruptible, II. In his { { immortal. NATURE: { {3. Invisible, intactible, &c. _Quid { sit._ { {1. POWER, {and LIFE {2. UNDERSTANDING, {itself. {3. WILL.
{ {1. MOST {[c]1. BEING} { { GREAT, { HIMSELF.} III. In his {1. OMNIPOTENT, {2. MOST {2. KNOWING } PERFECTIONS: {2. OMNISCIENT, { WISE, {HIMSELF. } _Qualis {3. MOST GOOD. {3. MOST {3. LOVING } sit._ { { HOLY {and } { { and {ENJOYING } { { HAPPY.[c] {HIMSELF. }
II. As related to His Creatures.