lution, no felicity of circumftances, can ever advance us to this height. Such a perfection as this, that is incapable of any increase, belongs, I believe, to God alone: or, if we may allow it to angels, we must certainly deny it to man: in whom, one would think, the appetites of the body can never be so entirely fubdued, that there fhould be no place to extend his conqueft, or render his victory more intire and compleat and in whom, one would think, the Spirit of God fhould never refide in that measure, that there fhould be nothing to be added to his fulness. 'Tis hard to conceive, how we should ftudy the fyftem of divine faith, how we fhould daily reflect upon our lives and actions, without growing in fpiritual wisdom and underftanding; 'tis hard to conceive, how we fhould give God, the world, and our felves, repeated proofs of our integrity in the day of tryal, without increafing our ftrength and affurance and love must naturally increase with thefe. Whence it is, that St. Paul, acknowledging himfelf not yet perfect, refolves, that forgetting thofe things that are behind, and reaching forwards to thofe things that are before, he would prefs on towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God, in Chrift Jefus, Phil. iii. 13, 14. And St. Auftin refolves, Pleniffima charitas, quamdiu hic homo vivit, in ne

mine eft: An abfolute plenitude of charity is in no mortal upon earth.

And yet, if we come to fact and pratice, one would be tempted to think, that the difciples of our Lord and Master, had arrived at that ftate, wherein their bufinefs was not to climb higher, but rather to make good the ground they had gained. What could render St. Paul's vitory over the body more compleat, who affures us, I am crucified with Chrift? And again, I am crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to me? What could render the authority and dominion of his mind more abfolute, or its graces more confummate and entire? Who could fay with truth, 'Tis not I who live, but Chrift who lives in me. What would you have added to that faith, and love, which made him ready, not only to be bound, but to die at Jerufalem, which made him long to be diffolved and to be with Chrift? As to thofe words of his, Phil. iii. 13. forgetting those things that are behind, and reaching forwards, &c. they relate to his tryals and performances, to his perils and conflicts; not to his attainments: he does not here deny himself to be perfect, though that might well enough have become his modefty and humility; but only, that he was not to look upon himself as already at his goal, a conqueror and crowned;

there

there being much yet behind to do and fuffer, notwithstanding all that he had paffed through. This is the fenfe of his εχ ὅτι ἤδη τελείωμαι, which we render, not as though I were already perfect. As to St. Auftin, I am wholly of his mind; for he fpeaks comparatively, and does in effect no more than affirm, that no man living is as perfect in this world, as he will be in another, which no man fure can ever doubtIf we confult rea

fon, will it not be apt to tell us, that as every being has its bounds fet it, so has every perfection too? That there is aftature, as of the natural, fo of the spiritual man, beyond which it cannot grow? That as to grace, no more can be infused, than our natures are capable of? Otherwife, like too rich a cordial, it will not ftrengthen, but fire our natures; or, like too. dazling a light, it will not affift, but opprefs our faculties. And does not the parable of our Mafter countenance this, Matth. xxv. 2. wherein he tells us, that God gave to one five talents, to another two, to another one, to every man according to his ability. By which one would think our Lord infinuates, that the meafures of grace are ufually diftributed in proportion to the capacities of nature; and that be, who improved his two talents into four, arrived at his proper perfection, as

well

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well as be, who improved his five into ten; it being as abfurd to expect, that the perfection of every man fhould be the fame, as to expect, that all mens bodies fhould be of the fame height, or their minds of the fame capacity.

Reflecting on all this together, I cannot but be of opinion, that fome have actually arrived at that ftrength of faith, at that ardour of love, that they seemed to have been incapable of any confiderable acceffions in this life. But yet, new occafions may ftill demand new virtues; which were indeed before contained and included in faith and love; but no otherwise, than as fruits and trees are in their feeds. And fome degree of original corruption may ftill be lurking in the most fanctified nature; and fome venial defects and imperfections or other, may ftill leave room for the greateft of faints to extend his conqueft. Befides, 'tis hard to determine or fix the bounds of knowledge; and every new degree of light feems to make way for more. So that after all, nothing hinders, but that the path of the perfect man may, as well with refpect to his rigtheoufness as his fortunes, be like the Shining light, which fhineth more and more unto the perfect day; I mean, the dayof a bleffed eternity.

The

The motives to perfection, the fruit of it, the means and methods of attaining it, laid down in the first fection, will all ferve here therefore I have nothing to offer of this fort; only, if I forgot to pay that deference to the inftitutions of our church, which they justly deferve, I do it now : and do earnestly perfwade my reader to a strict obfervance of them. I do not only think this neceffary to maintain a face of religion amongst us, but alfo highly conducive to true perfection. I am fully fatisfied, that there is a peculiar prefence of God in his publick ordinances; that the devotion of good men does mutually enflame and enkindle one another; that there is an holy awe and reverence feizes the minds of good men, when they draw near to God in publick worship; and finally, that if the offices of our liturgy do not affect our hearts, 'tis because they are very much indifpofed, and very poorly qualified for the true and fpiritual worship of God,