him will be our heaven; and those glimpfes of his Presence, which we are vouchfafed through the Spirit in this life, are the pledges and foretaste of it. This is the conftant voice of fcripture. Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, Jam. i. 17. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the world is mine, and the fulnefs thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most high and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me, Pfal. l. 12, 13, &c. If thou be righteous, what giveft thou unto him? Thy wickedness may hurt a man, as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the fon of man, Job XXXV. 7, 8.

SECT

SECT. III.

Of the Impediments of Perfection. Five Impediments reckoned up, and infifted on. 1. Too loofe a notion of religion. 2. An opinion that Perfection is not attainable. 3. That religion is an enemy to pleasure. 4. The love of the world. 5. The infirmity of the flesh. The whole concluded with a prayer.

HO' I have been all along carrying

TH

on the defign of this fection, that is, the removing the obftacles of Perfection, yet I eafily forefaw there might be fome which would not be reduced within the compafs of the foregoing beads: for thefe therefore I referved this place; these are five.

§. 1. Some seem to have entertained fuch a notion of religion, as if moderation here, were as neceffary as any where else. They look upon zeal as an excess of righteoufpefs; and can be well enough content to want degrees of glory, if they can but fave their fouls. To which end they can fee no neceffity of Perfection. Now I would befeech fuch feriously to lay to heart, that falvation and damnation are things of no common importance: and

there

therefore it highly concerns them not to be mistaken in the notion they form to themfelves of religion. For the nature of things will not be altered by their fancies; nor will God be mocked or impofed on. If we will deal fincerely with our felves, as in this case it certainly behoves us to do, we must frame our idea of religion, not from the opinions, the manners, or the fa fhions of the world; but from the fcrip tures. And we must not interpret thefe by our own inclinations; but we muft judge of the duties they prefcribe, by those defcriptions of them, by thofe properties and effects, which we find there. We muft weigh the defign and end of religion; which is to promote the glory of God, and the good of man, and to raise us above the world, and the body and fee how our platform, or model of religion, fuits with it. And if, after we have done this, we are not fully fatisfied in the true bounds and limits which part vice and virtue, it cannot but be fafeft for us to err on the right-hand. We ought always to remember too, that the repeated exhortations in fcripture to diligence, and that the most earneft and indefatigable ones, to vigilance, to fear and trembling, to patience, to stedfaftness, and fuch like, are utterly inconfiftent with an eafy, lazy, gentile religion. That the life of Jefus is the fairest and ful

left

left comment on his doctrine: and, that we never are to follow the examples of a corrupt world, but of the best men, and the best ages. This, this one thing alone, will convince us, what endeavours, what virtues are neceffary to gain an incorruptible crown. See with what eagerness the difciples of Jefus pressed towards the mark! fee with what courage, nay joy too, they took up their cross and followed him! how generous were their alms! so that the riches of their liberality were confpicuous in the very depth of their poverty. What plainnefs and finglenefs of heart; what grace and warmth, what peace and joy fhewed it felf in their converfation! what modesty, what humility in their garb, deportment, and the whole train of life! how frequent, how fervent, and how long too, were their prayers and retirements! In one word! the fpirit and genius of a disciple of Chrift difcovered it felf in all they faid and did and the virtues of their lives did as evidently diftinguish a Chriftian from a few or Pagan, as their faith. How lovely was religion then! how full its joy, how ftrong its confidence! then did Chriftians truly overcome the world: then did they live above the body: then was the Cross of Chrift more delightful, than the ease or honour, the pride or pleasure, of a finful life: then did they tru

ly,

ly, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. Let us now compare our lives with theirs, and then fit down content with poor and beggarly attainments if we can. Let us put our virtues in the fcales against theirs; and, if we have any modefty, the inequality will put us out of countenance: we fhall blush at our vanity; and shall not have the confidence to expect the fame crown, the fame kingdom with them. But as too lax a notion of religion is apt to beget too much indifference and unconcernment; fo will it be faid, too exalted an one is apt to beget deSpair: which is a fecond and no less obftacle of Perfection.

§. 2. Many there are, who, forming their judgment upon the flips and defects of good men, and the corruption of human nature, conceive Perfection to be a mere imaginary notion. They believe indeed, that, confidering how apt man is to fall fhort of his duty, 'tis very fit that the rule prescribed him fhould be exact; and that he fhould be frequently preffed, and exhorted to Perfection: but that the thing it felf is too difficult for mortal man to attain in this life. But to this objection I must oppose thefe few things, which I believe will be fufficient to remove it.