A treatise of the incomparableness of God in his being, attributes, works and word…

2. These Attributes are the very essence of God; not Qualities or Properties, as in Men and Angels. The holiness of God is the holy God: Once have I sworn by my Holiness, Psal. 89.36. (i. e. by my self,) that I will not lye unto David. For Heb. 6.13. God having no greater to swear by, swore by himself. The Power of God is the powerful God, the Truth of God is the true God, the Wisdom of God is the wise God. All his Attributes are himself, his Essence: In Men and Angels, their Wisdom, and Power, and Justice, and Truth, are Accidents, and differ from their Substances; and this is apparent, because Angels and Men may be, and are, without these Attributes, as Devils and wicked Men. In them these ⟨p. 102⟩Properties are one thing, and their Essence is another thing, so that they may be separated. An Angel may be an Angel, and not holy, nor wise, nor just, &c. A Man may be a Man, and not powerful, nor patient, nor merciful; and the reason is, because these Properties are really distinct from the Essences of Men or Angels; but in God they are his very Being and Essence; they are himself, and can no way be separated from him, no more then he can be separated from himself: God could not be God, if he were not most wise, most holy, most just, most patient, &c. God's Attributes are one most pure Essence diversly apprehended of us, as it is diversly manifested to us. God's punishing the Wicked, is his Justice; God's performing his Promises, is his Faithfulness: His relieving the Miserable, is his Mercy: His bearing with the Guilty, is his Patience; so all are his Essence, himself.

3. Those Attributes are all one in God: His Justice, is his Mercy; and his Wisdom, is his Patience, and his Knowledge, is his Faithfulness; and his Mercy, is his Justice, &c. Though they are ⟨p. 103⟩