fouls, who are already in blifs, fhall be more perfect and compleat at the refurrection. And why may it not then be continually increafing, and be augmented ftill more and more, without any fint or final period of its perfection? In this world we are apt to faint in a long courfe of goodness, and to be weary of well-doing. But in the other ftate, when men fhall be ftrongly biaffed to goodness, and have nothing to pull them back, it will then be fo far from being a trouble, that methinks it fhould be a mighty pleasure to the bleffed, to find that there is no end of their doing good, and becoming better. For if conformity to God be the ground and foundation of all happiness, then our Bleffednefs will advance proportionably, as we grow more and more like to him. This, I confefs, were a difmal confideration, to think that in heaven we fhould be liable to relapfe, to go backward, or fall from that holy and happy ftate. But this is a comfortable confideration, that our holiness and happinefs fhall never be at a ftand, that it is fecure fo far as it goes, and that we cannot lofe what we have once attained, as we may do in this world. This, methinks, fhould be a trouble to no man, that as good and happy as he is at firft, he fhall ftill be better and better, more and more happy without end.

But be that as it will, and as God pleafeth, (fór we do but talk in the dark about our future ftate) this is certain, that an equality with God in any of his perfections, is not to be attained by any creature, and therefore cannot be thought to be the meaning of this precept: But that which our Saviour requires, is a vigorous imitation of this pattern; that we have this example of the divine perfection always before us, and that we be continually endeavouring, as much as in us lies, to bring ourfelves to the nearest resemblance of God, that poffibly we 'can. And if this be our fincere care and ftudy, we need not doubt but that it will find acceptance with God, and that he will be gracioufly pleafed to efteen us for his children; and if there need a pardon for it, that God will forgive us wherein we fall fhort of

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the perfection of that pattern, which we can never imitate to perfection.

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And happy were it for us, if this were all the ground of our fear and trouble, that when we had done, all we could, we must still fall much fhort of the perfection of God's law, and the duty therein laid upon us. Alas! which of us does near fo much as we can, and is not confcious to himfelf that it is through his own fault and neglect, that he is fo unlike his heavenly Father in goodness and mercy, in righteoufnefs and true holiness; and that he ftill partakes in fo great a measure of thofe, not only unreafonable and brutish, but even devilish paffions of malice and hatred, of rage and cruelty, of impatience and implacable revenge; and that thefe ungodlike qualities do fo frequently prevail upon us and have fo, much dominion over us!

We are fo far from being what we ought, in thefe and many other refpects, that we are far from what we might be, if we would mind our duty with care and confcience, and make it our fincere endea vour to fubdue ourfelves to a conformity to God, and to a perfect holiness in his fear.

Would we but often fet God before our eyes, and reprefent to ourfeves thofe excellent and amiable perfections of the divine nature, which are fo comfortable and beneficial to us, and to which we ftand fo infinitely obliged, his goodnefs, and mercy, and patience, upon which all our hopes of hapnefs do depend, and to which we are indebted that we are not miferable paft recovery; that goodnefs and patience, which he continually exercifeth towards us, (for we provoke him every day,) and exerciseth towards us, on purpose to endear those perfections to us, from which we reap fo much comfort and advantage; that by the pattern of perfection itself, and the example of him who is fo much above us, no ways obliged to us, nor tied by any interest to be concerned for us; and who being happy in himself, neither hopes nor fears any thing from us: I fay, by an example that has all these advantages, we might be provoked to be fo affected

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towards one another (who have mutual obligations one to another, and mutual expectations of good or evil one from another) as we have always found God to be towards us, and as we defire he should ftill continue; and miserable creatures are we, whenever he ceafeth to be fo: And we have reason to fear he will cease to be fo, if this example of his goodness and patience towards us, do not transform us into the image of the divine perfections, and prevail upon us to imitate thofe excellencies which we have fo much reason to approve and admire, and be in love withal.

Thefe confiderations, taken both from ingenuity and intereft, fhould awaken our floth, and ftir up our most refolute and vigorous endeavours after that perfection which our Saviour here requires, and make us afhamed of our lazy complaints, that our duty is fet fo high, that the endeavours of our whole life cannot reach it; when yet we have hardly made one step towards it, and are fo remifs and unconcerned about it, as if we could do it at any time with the greatest eafe, and, at an hour's warning before we leave the world, could fulfil this precept of our Lord, of being perfect, as our Father which is in heaven is perfect.

And yet, let me tell you, fo far as any of us are from refembling our heavenly Father in fome good degree and measure, fo far are we diftant from heaven, and the temper of the bleffed; fo far are we utterly unqualified for the blissful fight and enjoyment of God: for unless we be firft like him, we cannot fee him as he is: Only the pure in heart Shall fee God; and therefore every man that has this hope in him, fhould purify himself even as he is pure.

And thus I have, as briefly as I could, difpatched the four things I propounded for the explication of this text; namely, how we are to conceive of the divine perfections, and to give fome rules to regulate and govern our opinions concerning the attributes and perfections of God; to explain the

extent of this duty, and vindicate the poffibility of

it.

All that now remains, is to draw fome ufeful inferences from this difcourfe which I have made; and they fhall be these two:

I. That the ftrongest and surest reasonings in religion, are grounded upon the effential perfections of God.

II. That the trueft and moft fubftantial practice of religion confifts in the imitation of God.

I. That the ftrongest and fureft reafonings in religion, are grounded upon the effential perfections of God; fo that even divine revelation itfelt doth fuppofe thefe for its foundation, and can fignify nothing to us, unless these be first known and believed. Unless we be first perfuaded of the providence of God, and his particular care of mankind, why fhould we believe that he would make any revelation of himfelf to men? Unless it be naturally known to us that God is true; what foundation is there for the belief of his word? And what fignify the laws and promifes of God, unlefs natural light do firft affure us of his fovereign authority and faithfulnefs? So that the principles of natural religion, are the foundation of that which is revealed; and therefore, in reafon, nothing can be admitted to be a revelation from God, which plainly contradicts his effential perfection: and, confequently, if any pretends divine revelation for this doctrine, That God hath from all eternity abfolutely decreed the eternal ruin of the greatest part of mankind, without any respect to the fins and demerits of men, I am as certain. that this doctrine cannot be of God, as I am fure that God is good and juft: because this grates upon the notion that mankind have of goodness and justice. This is that which no good man would do, and therefore cannot be believed of infinite: goodness; and therefore, if if an Apoftle or Angel from heaven teach any doctrine which plainly overthrows the goodness and juftice of God, let him be accurfed. For every man hath greater affurance that God is good and juft, than he can have of any subtle VOL. VI.

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fpeculations about predeftination and the decrees of God.

And for the fame reafon, I cannot believe, upon the pretended authority or infallibity of any man or church in the world, that God would not have men understand their publick prayers, and the A lefJeffons of fcripture which are read to them. a leffon fon not to be understood, is nonfenfe: is fomething to be learned; which how it can be without being understood, is hard to comprehend.

And as little can I believe, upon the authority of any perfon or church whatsoever, that God fhould reveal his will to men in the holy fcriptures, with a defign to have it hid, and locked up from the generality of mankind in an unknown tongue. And much lefs can I believe (which yet is the exprefs doctrine of the council of Trent) that the faving efficacy of the facrament depends upon the intention of the priest. Which is to fay, that though people believe, and live never fo well, they may be damned by fhoals and whole parishes together, at the pleasure of the priest; and for no other reafon, but because he is so wicked as not to intend to fave them. Can any man believe this, that hath any tolerable notion of God's goodnefs? May we not in this cafe appeal, as Abraham did, to the goodnefs and juftice of God, and expoftulate with greater reason than he did, much after the fame manner, Wilt thou destroy the righteous for the wicked? that be far from thee to do after this manner. damn the righteous for the wicked, and that righteous people fhould ly at the mercy of a wicked priest, to be damned or faved at his pleasure, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And can there be a greater affront to the goodness and juftice of God, than to imagine he fhould deal with men after this manner? If this be to do right, there is no poffibility of doing wrong

And to give but one inftance more; ver believe, upon the authority of any church whatsoever, that our Saviour, in

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