MEDITATIONS ON CHRISTIAN DOGMA TREATISE I.11. PURITY, SANCTITY AND BEAUTY OF GOD.
CRIVELLI, Carlo
St Catherine of Siena
c. 1490
MEDITATIONS ON CHRISTIAN DOGMA
TREATISE I.
11. PURITY, SANCTITY AND BEAUTY OF GOD.
I. The purity of God is a negative term indicating that
He is exempt from all admixture of anything inferior to
Himself, from all fault, taint, imperfection; as gold is pure
when it is free from all dross or alloy of inferior metals.
"Thine eyes are too pure to behold evil, and Thou canst
not look on iniquity" (Hab. i. 13). God is purity most
perfect and inconceivable, in Himself, in creation, and in
His decrees concerning us, His sinful creatures. Although
in such close relations with material things and with sinners,
He contracts no imperfection from them. There is in Him
no passion or disturbance, for He is immovable in His perfect
tranquillity. He is not hasty or inconsiderate, for He is never
taken by surprise. He does not the smallest wrong to any,
for He is perfect justice. He is not harsh or vindictive,
for He is infinite mercy and love. The defects which produce
sin in us have no place in God. There is no malice in Him
on account of His infinite goodness; no ignorance on account
of His perfect wisdom ; no weakness on account of His omnipotent power. How then can men murmur against God
as if any iniquity could be in Him, or His decrees, or His
actions? He is not like us who are full of impurities even
in our holiest actions. Ask for purity of mind and heart
and body, that God may dwell in you without a rival.
II. Sanctity is a positive term indicating the possession
of all moral perfections. "The Lord is just in all His ways
and holy in all His works" (Ps. cxliv. 17). Every virtue
that we recognize, whether by its presence or its absence
in men, exists in God in a supereminent degree. The
Divine Essence is the first source and the full reservoir of
all virtues and holiness. We have seen much excellence
in saints and other great men ; it has seemed wonderful to
us and almost unattainable ; but it is all only a shadow
compared to the reality of holiness in God. God is upright
in all His works, perfectly just without failing in mercy, in
finitely merciful without making justice a mockery. He is
liberal in His gifts, setting no bounds to them but what we
ourselves place. His patience never grows tired under our
repeated offences. His prudence foresees all things and
orders them for the best. God is not exacting or hard in
demanding from us more than we can render to Him ; but
He is most generous in making broad allowance for our
inevitable shortcomings. He is pacific in receiving us back
as soon as we accept the overtures of His love. God is
most true ; His words will never pass away, and He will
never forget His promises. Glorify God therefore with His
angels, saying, " Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of
hosts" (Isa. vi. 3). Imitate His holiness by the practice of
all virtues.
III. God also possesses the attribute of beauty in an
infinite degree. This is another quality of beings when
complete and well ordered, and it is the cause of intense
delight. Consider how much there is of beauty in the
world. We find it in harmonious sounds, in form and
colour, in nature and art, in words and in ideas, in the
expressions of the countenance, in the moral character of
men. It is a special quality different from goodness, truth,
utility. How abundant it is, and how much pleasure it
affords ! It exists also in God in infinite perfection, and in
diverse forms more varied and more intense than we can
imagine. The beauty of God will ravish us with delight for
all eternity. This same beauty of God exists in your soul
when you are in the state of grace ; you are then more
pleasing in the eyes of God than all the wonderful beauty
of the material world. Possessing this in yourself and in
God, you can afford to dispense with earthly pleasures,
to live a life of mortification, and to look forward to the
enjoyment of that " Beauty which is ever ancient and ever
new." Cultivate this divine quality in your soul that God
may take delight in beholding you.
MEDITATIONS ON CHRISTIAN DOGMA BY THE RIGHT REV. JAMES BELLORD, D.D.
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