no evil to himself nor provokes any unnecessary danger His Vertue effectually does that which Atheism attempts in vain dispels the terror of an invisible Power he needs not drown the Voice of Conscience by Wine or Noise or the toil of Life it speaks nothing to him but what is kind and obliging it is his Comforter not his Persecutor And as to this World he reaps that satisfaction and tranquility from the Moderation of his Affections which Ambition and Avarice do in vain promise themselves from Preferments or the increase of Wealth If therefore there were any state on this side Heaven exempt from Evil it must be that of the Perfect Man But he knows the World too well to flatter himself with the expectation of Indolence or an undisturb'd tranquility here below and is as far from being deluded by vain Hopes as from being scar'd by vain fears or tortur'd and distended by vain desires He knows the World has its Evils and that they cannot wholly be avoided he knows it and dares behold them with open Eyes survey their Force and feel and try their Edge And then when he has collected his own strength and called in the Aid of Heaven he shrinks not nor desponds but meets Evil with that Courage and bears it with that evenness of Mind that he seems even in his Afflictions nearer to Indolence then the Fool and Sinner in his Prosperity So that I cannot forbear professing there appears so much Beauty so much loveliness in the deportment of the Perfect Man with respect to the Evils of Life that for that reason alone were there no other I should admire and prefer his Vertue above any Possession or Enjoyment of Life Give me leave to compare the Saint and Sinner on this occasion and but very briefly The wise Man's eyes saith Solomon Eccles 2.14 are in his head but the fool walks in darkness The wise Man sees that he has Enemies I mean Evils and therefore he informs himself well of their Strength observes their Motion and prepares for the Encounter but Ignorance and Stupidity is the greatest blessing of the Sinners Life and his most admir'd Quality is not to be apprehensive of Evil till it crush him with its Weight But if the Sinner be not fool enough to arrive at this degree of brutality then as soon as the report of the most distant Evil or the most inconsiderable reaches his Ear how it fills his Imagination how it shakes his Heart and how it embitters his Pleasures And to what poor and despicable Arts to what base and dishonourable shifts does his Fear force him When on the same occasion we discover nothing in the Perfect Man but a beautiful mixture of Humility and Faith Devotion and Confidence or Assurance in God He is not afraid of evil tidings his Heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112. a frame of Spirit which to those who have opportunity and sense to observe it renders him both more belov'd and rever'd Lastly if we consider the wicked and the good Man actually under the weight and pressure of Evil how much unlike is the state of the one in reality to that of the other even while the outward circumstances are the same What Chearfulness what Courage what Resignation what Hopes adorn the One What Instruction to all what Satisfaction to his Friends and Relations does his Deportment afford And how does it inspire and warm the Breasts of those that converse with him with an esteem for and love of Goodness and himself What Charm what Delight is there in those gracious Speeches that proceed at this time out of a Good Man's Mouth I know that my Redeemer liveth The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the Name of the Lord Thou of very faithfulness has caused me to be afflicted God is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever And such-like And how often does he pour out his Heart in secret before God How often does he reflect on the gracious and wise ends of Divine Chastisement And how often does he with desire and thirst Meditate on that fulness of Joy which expects him in the Presence of God! But let us cast our Eye now on the Voluptuary on the Ambitious on the Covetous or any other sort of Sinner under Disgrace Poverty Sickness or any such Calamity what a mean and despicable Figure does such a one make What Impatience what Despondency what Guilt what Pusillanimity does every Word every Action betray Or it may be his Insolence is turned into Crouching and Fawning his Rudeness and Violence into Artifice and Cunning and his Irreligion into Superstition Various indeed are the Humours and very different the Carriage of these unhappy Men in the Day of Tryal but all is but Misery in a different dress Guilt and Baseness under a different appearance Here I might further remark that that Faith which produces Patience in Adversity produces likewise Security and Confidence in Prosperity I will lay me down may every good May say in the words of the Psalmist and sleep and rise again for thou Lord shalt make me dwell in safety And surely the one is as serviceable to the ease of Human Life as the other But I think I have said enough to shew that if Pleasure be suppos'd to imply no more then Indolence the Perfect Man has without Controversie a far greater share of it than any other can pretend to But let us take Pleasure to be not a meer Calm but a gentle Breeze not to consist in meer Rest and Quiet but a delightful Motion not in the meer Tranquility of the Mind but in the Transport of it or some thing nearly approaching it Perfection I 'm confident will suffer nothing by this change of the Notion of Pleasure How many Pleasures has the wise Man which depend not on Fortune but Himself I mean his Diligence and Integrity and to which the Sinner is an utter Stranger What Pleasure what Triumph is equal to that of the Perfect Man when he Glories in God and makes his boast of him all day long When he rejoyces in the Lord with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory When being fill'd with all the fulness of God transported by a Vital Sense of Divine Love and strengthen'd and exalted by the mighty Energie of the Spirit of Adoption he maintains a Fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus All Communion with God consists in this Joy of Love and Assurance and has a taste of Heaven in it Let the most Fortunate and the wisest Epicurean too Ransack all the Store-houses and Treasures of Nature let him Muster together all his Legions of Pleasures and let him if he can consolidate and incorporate them all and after all being put into the Scale against This alone they will prove lighter then Vanity it self To be the Care the Delight the Love of an Almighty God to be dear to him who is the Origine and Fountain of
did not exact of his Disciples as a necessary Preparation for his Doctrine the Knowledge of Tongues the History of Times or Nature Logick Metaphysicks Mathematicks or the like These indeed may be serviceable to many excellent Ends They may be great accomplishments of the Mind great Ornaments and very engaging Entertainments of Life They may be finally very excellent and necessary Instruments of or Introductions to several Professions or Employments But as to Perfection and Happiness to these they can never be indispensably necessary A Man may be excellently habitually Good without more Languages then one He may be fully perswaded of those great Truths that will render him Master of his Passions and independent of the Word that will render him easie and useful in this Life and glorious in another though he be no Logician nor Metaphysician Yet would I not all this while be supposed to exclude the use of true Reason and solid Judgment Though the meanest capacity may attain to its proper Perfection that is such a measure of Knowledge as may make the Man truly wise and happy yet the more capacious any Man's Soul is and the more enlarged his Knowledge the more Perfect and Happy He. 4. The Qualifications previously necessary to Illumination are two or three Moral ones implied in that Infant Temper our Saviour required in those who would be his Disciples These are Humility Impartiality and a Thirst or love of Truth First Humility He that will be taught of God must not be Proud or Confident in himself He must not over-rate his own Parts and Capacity nor lean too stifly to his own understanding He must firmly believe that Illumination is the Work of God and on Him he must depend He must confess the weakness of his own Faculties the natural Poverty and Indigence of his understanding and so look up to God who is the Fountain of Wisdom and giveth Grace to the Humble but resisteth the Proud Secondly Impartiality Sincerity or a certain Purity and innocence of Judgment if I may be allowed to speak so That the Vnderstanding may be capable of Divine Light it must not be blur'd and Stain'd by false Principles It must not be biassed nor influenced by any corrupt inclinations Some to prove their Impartiality or Freedom of Judgment abandon themselves to the scrupulousness of Scepticism and a wanton itch of endless Disputation and Contradiction But I cannot think it necessary to our Freedom and Impartiality to deny the Evidence of our Senses to oppose the Vniversal Reason of Mankind and to shake off all Reverence for the Integrity of Man and the Veracity of God No this savours too much either of Ostentation or of a raw and unexperienced Affectation of new Theories and Speculations He secures his Freedom sufficiently who guards his Reason against the force of groundless Prepossessions and senseless Modes and Customs against the Lusts of the Body and the prejudices of Parties Who keeps a strict Eye upon the Motions and Tendencies of his inferiour Nature who admits not the Dictates of a Single Person or Party for Catholick Reason who considers that there are Revolutions of Phylosophy and Opinions as well as States and Kingdoms and judges well of Times and Men e're he pay much deference to Authority But Thirdly this is not all that is necessary to any compleat Degree of Illumination Impartiality is necessary to the first Dawnings of it but if we would have it increased and diffuse its self into a perfect Day of Spiritual Wisdom and Vnderstanding we must hunger and thirst after Truth An unprejudiced Mind is necessary to qualifie us for the first Rudiments of Truth but we must be inflamed with Desire and Love of it e're we shall enter into the Sanctuary or Recesses of it Therefore our Saviour invites to him every one that thirsts Joh. 7.37 And St. Peter exhorts us as new born Babes to desire the sincere Milk of the Word that we may grow thereby 1 Epist 2.2 And St. Paul imputes the Damnation of those that perish to want of Love of the Truth 2 Thess 2.10 'T is too trifling to Object here how come we to thirst after what we do not know For it concerns every Man to enquire what will become of him for ever and if he be already assured that there is another World and a glorious Salvation to be attained it is natural to thirst after the Resolution of such Questions as these What shall I do to be saved What shall I do to inherit an Eternal Life And such is the Beauty of Illuminating Truth that every Glance of it kindles in our Hearts the Love of it And such its boundless Perfection that the more we know the more still shall we desire to know Having thus considered what qualifies Man for Illumination my next business is to enquire § 2. What one thus qualified is to do for the actual Attainment of it All the Advice that I can think fit here to be given may be reduced to four Heads 1. That we do not suffer our Minds to be engaged in quest of Knowledge forreign to our purpose 2. That we apply our selves with a very tender and sensible Concern to the Study of Illuminating Truths 3. That we act conformable to those Measures of Light which we have attain'd 4. That we frequently and constantly address our selves to God by Prayer for the Illumination of his Grace 1. That we do not suffer c. This is a natural and necessary Consequence of what has been already said concerning Illumination For if Illumination consist in the Knowledge not of all sort of Truths but the most necessary and important such as purifie and perfect our Nature such as procure us sacred and stable Pleasure and all the Rewards that flow from our Adoption to God it is then plain he who would be Perfect ought not to amuse and distract his Mind in Pursuit of trifling or divertive Knowledge that he ought to shun and not to admit whatever is apt to entangle perplex or defile him and to fix his Thoughts and confine his Meditations to the great Truths of the Gospel He that knows the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent knows enough to oblige him to Vertue and to open the way to Glory and everlasting Life He that knows nothing but Jesus Christ and him Crucified knows enough in order to Peace Grace and Joy enough to promote Holiness and Hope Hope that abounds in Joy unspeakable and full of Glory 2. We must apply our selves with a very tender and sensible Concern to the Study of Illuminating Truths This Rule must be understood to enjoyn three things 1. Great Care and Caution in examining Doctrins proposed and in distinguishing between Truth and Falsehood 2. Great Diligence and Industry to increase and enlarge our Knowledge 3. Frequent and serious Reflection upon the Truths we know 1. There is need of great Caution in the Trial and Examination of Doctrins This the
dung and dross in comparison of him Can he in one word ever be seduced to renounce and hate Religion who has had so long an Experience of the Beauty and of the Pleasure of it Good Habits when they are grown up to Perfection and Maturity seem to me as natural as 't is possible Evil ones should be And if so 't is no less difficult to extirpate the One then the Other And I think I have the Scripture on my side in this Opinion Does the Prophet Jeremy demand Can the Ethiopian change his Skin or the Leopard his Spots then may you that are accustomed to do Evil learn to do Well Jer. 13.23 St. John on the other hand does affirm Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Ep. 3.9 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not v. 6. These are the Grounds of Assurance with respect of the time to come As to Personal and Peremptory Predestination to Life and Glory 't is at least a controverted Point and therefore unfit to be laid as the Foundation of Assurance But suppose it were granted I see not which way it can effect our present enquiry since the wisest amongst those who stickle for it advise all to Govern themselves by the general Promises and Threats of the Gospel to look upon the Fruits of Righteousness as the only solid proof of a state of Grace and if they be under the Dominion of any Sin not to presume upon Personal Election but to look upon themselves as in a state of Damnation till they be recovered out of it by Repentance Thus far all sides agree and this I think is abundantly enough for here we have room enough for Joy and Peace and for Caution too room enough for Confidence and for Watchfulness too The Romanists indeed will not allow us to be certain of Salvation Certitudine fidei cui non potest subesse falsum with such a Certainty as that with which we entertain an Article of Faith in which there is no room for Error i. e. we are not so sure that we are in the Favour of God as we are or may be that there is a God We are not so sure that we have a title to the Merits of Christ as we are or may be that Jesus is the Christ Now if this assertion be confined to that Assurance which regards the time to come as I think it generally is and do not deny Assurance in General but only certain Degrees or Measures of it then there is nothing very absurd or intolerable in it For a less Assurance then that which this Doctrine excludes will be sufficient to secure the Pleasure and Tranquility of the Perfect Man But if this assertion be design'd against that Assurance which regards our present State then I think it is not sound nor agreeable either to Reason Scripture or Experience For first the Question being about a matter of Fact 't is in vain to argue that cannot be which does appear manifestly to have been And certainly they who rejoyced in Christ with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory were as fully perswaded that they were in a State of Grace and Salvation as they were that Jesus was Risen from the Dead Secondly 't is one thing to ballance the Strength and Degrees of Assurance another to ballance the Reasons of it For it is very possible that Assurance may be stronger where the Reason of it may not be so clear and evident as where the Assurance is less Thus for Example the evidence of Sense seems to most learned Men to be stronger then that of Faith And yet through the assistance of the Spirit a Man may embrace a Truth that depends upon Revelation with as much confidence and certainty as one depending upon Sense And so it may be in the case of Assurance The Spirit of God may by its Concurrence raise our Assurance as high as he pleases although the Reason on which it be built should not be Divine and Infallible but meerly Moral and subject at least to a possibility of Error But Thirdly Why should not the certainty I have concerning my Present State be as Divine and Infallible as that I have concerning an Article of Faith If the Premises be Infallible why should not the Conclusion He that Believes and Repents is in a State of Grace is a Divine an Infallible Proposition and why may not this other I Believe and Repent be equally Infallible though not equally Divine What Faith and Repentance is is revealed and therefore there is no room for my being here mistaken Besides I am assisted and guided in the Tryal of my Self by the Spirit of God So that the truth of this Proposition I Believe and Repent depends partly upon the evidence of Sense and I may be as sure of it as of what I do or leave undone partly upon the evidence of inward Sensation or my Consciousness of my own Thoughts and I may be as sure of it as I can be of what I love or hate rejoyce or grieve for And lastly it depends upon the evidence of the Spirit of God which assists me in the Examination of my Self according to those Characters of Faith and Repentance which he hath himself revealed And when I conclude from the two former Propositions that I am in a State of Grace he confirms and ratifies my Inference And now let any one tell me what kind of certainty that is that can be greater than this I have taken this pains to set the Doctrine of Assurance in a clear Light because it is the great Spring of the Perfect Man's Comfort and Pleasure the source of his Strength and Joy And this puts me in mind of that other fruit of Perfection which in the beginning of this Chapter I promised to insist on which is Its Subserviency to our Happiness in this Life That Happiness increases in proportion with Perfection cannot be denied unless we will at the same time deny the Happiness of a Man to exceed that of an Infant or the Happiness of an Angel that of Man Now this truth being of a very great Importance and serving singly instead of a thousand Motives to Perfection I will consider it impartially and as closely as I can Happiness and Pleasure are generally thought to be only two words for the same thing Nor is this very remote from truth for let but Pleasure be solid and lasting and I cannot see what more is wanting to make Man Happy The best way therefore to determin how much Perfection contributes to our Happiness is to examin how much it contributes to our Pleasure If with the Epicurean we think Indolence our supream Happiness and define Pleasure by the absence of Pain then I am sure the Perfect Man will have the best claim to it He surely is freest from the Mistakes and Errors from the Passions and Follies that embroil Human Life he creates
his Vices which he did not reflect on sufficiently before he is vex'd and troubled at the plagues and mischiefs his Sin and Folly have already procured him and thinks he has reason to fear if he persist others far more intolerable Then he calls to mind the Goodness the long-suffering of God the love of Jesus the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power and how distant soever he be from Vertue he discerns there is a Beauty and Pleasure in it and cannot but judge the Righteous happy These thoughts these Travels of the mind if they be not strangled in the Birth by a Man 's own wilfulness or Pusillanimity or unhappily diverted upon some Temptations do kindle in the Bosom of the Sinner the desires of Righteousness and Liberty they fill him with Regret and Shame cast him down and humble him before God and make him finally resolve on shaking off the Yoke This may be called a state of Illumination and is a state of Preparation for or Disposition to Repentance Or if it be Repentance it self 't is yet but an Embrio To perfect it 't is necessary Secondly That the Sinner make good his Resolutions and actually break with his Lusts he must reject their Sollicitations and boldly oppose their Commands he must take part with Reason and Religion keep a Watch and Guard over his Soul and must earnestly labour by Mortification and Discipline by Meditation and Prayer to root out Vice and Plant Vertue in his Soul This in the Language of the Prophet is ceasing to do Evil and learning to do well Isa 1.16 17. He that has proceeded thus far though he feel a great Conflict within though the Opposition of Lust be very strong and consequently the discharge of his Duty very difficult he is nevertheless in a state of Grace but in a state of Childhood too he is sincere but far from being Perfect And yet this is the state which many continue in to the end of their Lives being partly abus'd by false Notions and taught to believe from Rom. 7. that there is no higher or perfecter state partly intangled and incumbred by some unhappy circumstances of Life Or it may be the Force or Impetus of the Soul towards Perfection is much abated by the Satisfaction of Prosperity and the many Diversions and Engagements of a Fortunate Life But he that will be Perfect must look upon this state as the beginning of Vertue For it must be remembred that a stubborn and powerful Enemy will not be subdued and totally brought under in a Moment The Christian therefore must prosecute this War till he has finished it I will not say by Extirpating but disabling the Enemy But here I would have it well observ'd that the Reducing the Enemy to a low condition is not always effected by an uninterrupted Series of Victories for seldom is any so Fortunate or so Brave so Wise or so watchful as to meet with no Check in the long Course of a difficult War 't is enough if he be not discourag'd but instructed and awaken'd by it And to prevent any fatal disaster too Errors must carefully be avoided First a hasty and fond confidence in our selves with an over-weaning contempt and neglect of the Enemy And next all false and cowardly Projects of Truces and Accommodations Nor is the sitting down content with poor and low Attainments very far removed from this Latter This is the second Stage of the Christian's Advance towards Perfection and may be call'd the state of Liberty The third and last which now follows is the state of Zeal or Love or as Mystick Wrighters delight to call it the state of Vnion The Yoke of sin being once shaken off the Love of Righteousness and a delight in it is more and more increased And now the Man proceeds to the last round in the Scale of Perfection The Wisdom Courage and Vigour of a Convert is generally at first employed in subduing his corruptions in Conquering his ill Habits and Defeating his Enemies in watching over his own Heart and guarding himself against Temptations But this being once done he is in full Liberty to pursue the works of Peace and Love Now he may advance from necessary to voluntary Acts of Self-denial which before would have been putting old Wine into new Bottles contrary to the Advice of our Master Mat. 9.17 Now he may enlarge his Knowledge and exchange the Milk of the Word for strong Meat for the Wisdom and the Mysteries of it Now he may extend his watchfulness his care and whereas they were before wisely for the most part confined to his own safety he may now like our Saviour go about doing good Act. 10.38 protecting strengthning and rescuing his weak Brethren propagating the Faith and enflaming the bosoms of Men with the love of Jesus and his Truths Now in a word he may give himself up to a Life of more exalted Contemplation Purity and Charity which will be natural and easie now though it were not so in the beginning And this Life is accompanied with Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost with Confidence and Pleasure Now the Yoke of Christ is easie and his burden light now he rejoyces with Joy unspeakable and Hopes full of Glory Now 't is not so much he that lives as Christ that lives in him For the life which he now leads is entirely the product of Faith and Love and his greatest business is to maintain the Ground which he has got and to hold fast the steadfastness of his Hope unto the end To render this short account of the growth of Vertue from its very Seed to Maturity the more useful and to free it from some scruples which it may otherwise give occasion to I will here add two or three Remarks 1. That the State and Habit of Perfection is a different thing from some suddain Flights or Efforts of an Extraordinary Passion and so is the fixt and establish'd Tranquility of the Mind from some suddain Gusts and short lived fits of spiritual Joy No man attains to the Habits of Vertue and Pleasure but by degrees and the natural method and order by which he advances to either is that which I have set down But as to some Sallies of the most pure and exalted Passions as to short liv'd fits of Perfection as to transcient Tasts short and suddain transports of spiritual Pleasure it is very often otherwise God sometimes either to allure the frailty of a new Convert or to Fortifie his Resolution against some hazardous Tryal does raise him to an extraordinary height by more then usual Communications of his blessed Spirit and ravishes him by some Glances as it were of the Beatifick Vision Raptures of Love the melting tenderness of a pious Sorrow the Strength of Resolution and Faith the Confidence and Exultancy of Assurance do sometimes accompany some sort of Christians in the beginnings of Righteousness or in the state of Illumination Where the Conviction is full the Imagination lively
all our sinful or vain desires devote our selves to the Service of Jesus and learn to expect Happiness from nothing else but the Merits and the Imitation of his Cross So profound is the Wisdom of this Institution that it evidently speaks God the Author of it and proclaims the too common neglect of it in most parts of this Nation an in-excusable Sin and Folly 3. A Third end of Instrumental Duties of Religion is the raising and keeping up Holy and Devout Affections I know not why Passion is so commonly undervalued and disparaged in Religion unless they who thus treat it mean nothing by it but a short-liv'd and superficial commotion of the Mind which leaves no print or relish behind it and is presently succeeded by Sin and Folly Holy Passion is the vigour and strength of the Soul 't is the state and frame of the Mind when it is throughly moved and affected And therefore to form to ones self Religion destitute of Passion is little better than to content ones self with one that is lazy lukewarm and lifeless And though there be some Tempers very unapt to be moved yet 't is hard to imagine how even these can be wrought up to a Resolution or that Resolution be supported and continued without their being affected so throughly as to feel either a real Passion or something very nearly approaching one 'T is an excellent Frame of Spirit when the Soul is easily elevated and transported into Holy Passion And I find that all those Vertues or rather Acts of Vertue which are described to the Life and which are by all judg'd most Perfect and Lovely have most of Passion in them How warm and Passionate was the Love of David for his God! What Flame what vehemence of Desire was he moved by when he cries out Psal 42.1 2. As the Heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God What awful Concussions and Agitations of Spirit did he feel when he thus describes his Fear My Flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments Psal 119.120 What afflictions of Soul what tenderness of Heart do we meet with in the Repentance of St. Peter when He went forth and wept bitterly Of Mary Magdalen or whoever that Woman in Luk. 7. was when she washed the Feet of our Saviour with her Tears and wiped them with the Hairs of her Head And of the Royal Psalmist when he watered his Couch with his Tears Psal 6.6 Nor were the Pleasures of Assurance less sensible and vehement then the sorrows of Repentance when the first Christians rejoyced with Joy unspeakable and Hopes full of Glory Shall I here add that Holy Indignation against Sin that vehement desire of making some Reparation for it which is the effect of Godly Sorrow that Zeal and Fervency of Spirit in the Service of God which is the highest Character of Perfection it self Shall I call these Passions I must not for though they have the heat and agitation of Passion they have in them the firmness and steadiness of an Habit. And I wish with all my Heart that all those other excellent Affections of Soul which I before named could be rendered Natural and Habitual The nearer we come to this undoubtedly the Perfecter I doubt Mortality is incapable of any such height But the more frequent as well as the more vehement and fervent the better certainly For great is the Force and Vertue of Holy Passion the flame of Love refines our Nature and Purifies it from all its Dross the Tears of a Godly Sorrow extinguish all our carnal and worldly Lusts and the Agitations of Fear preserve the chastity and purity of the Soul 'T is plain then that our Religion ought to be animated by Holy Passions that the more frequent and natural these grow the more Perfect we are that being the most excellent frame of Spirit when we are most apt to be sensibly and throughly affected by Divine Truths By what Means we may attain to this is now briefly to be considered 'T is certain that great and Important wonderful and glorious Truths will not fail to affect us and that throughly unless Lust or Infidelity have render'd us stupid and impenetrable And that Gospel Truths are such is no doubt at all let the Conviction be full the Representation lively and the Truth will do its work 'T is for want of such circumstances and such sensible Notions of an Object as may strike the Imagination for want of close and particular Applications when Divine Truths do not move us This now does not only call us to the frequent Meditation of the most Affecting Subjects the Majesty and Omnipresence of God the Sufferings of Christ Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell but it shews also how to model and form our Meditations that they prove not cold and sluggish Let the Object of our Thoughts be described by the most sensible Images or Resemblances let it be clad with the most natural circumstances let it be made as particular as it can by fixing its Eye upon us and pointing its Motion towards us but above all and in the first place let the Proof of it be clear and strong Prayer is an Exercise very apt to move the Passion The Mind having disengaged it self from all Earthly and Bodily Affections is prepared for the impression of Truth and the Spirit of God it draws nearer into the Presence of God and the sense of this sheds an awful Reverence upon it it has a clearer calmer and more serious View of Divine Things then when it is obscured and disturbed by worldly Objects In a word Meditation is in this Exercise render'd more solemn and more particular and when the Holy Fire is kindled in the Soul it dilates and diffuses it self more and more till the strength of Desire the vehemence of Holy Love transcending the weakness of this Mortal Nature we faint under the Passions that we cannot bear The Lord's Supper is an Holy Rite wonderfully adapted to raise excellent Passions Here Christ is as it were set forth Crucified amongst us we see His Body broken and His Blood poured forth here with a devout Joy we receive and embrace Him by Faith and Love in those Symbols of His Body and Blood and Pledges of His Love The Soul must be very ill prepared it must have very imperfect Notions of Sin and Damnation the Cross of Christ Grace and Salvation which is not sensible of a Crow'd of Holy Passions springing up in it at this Sacrament Hymns and Psalms have by I know not what Natural Magick a peculiar Force and Operation upon a pious Mind Divine Poetry has a noble elevation of Thoughts it does not devise and counterfeit Passions but only vents those which it feels and these are pure and lovely kindled from above Therefore are all its Characters natural its Descriptions lively its Language moving and powerful and all is
4thly If the Duties of Religion be very troublesome and uneasie to a Man we may from hence conclude that he is not Perfect For though the Beginning of Wisdom and Vertue be generally harsh and severe to the Fool and Sinner yet to him that has Conquered the Yoke of Christ is easie and his Burden light to him that is filled with the Love of God his Commandments are not grievous hence is that observation of the Son of Sirach Ecclus. 4.17 18. For at the first she will walk with him by crooked ways and bring fear and dread upon him and torment him with her discipline until she may trust his Soul and try him by her Laws then will she return the straight way unto him and comfort him and shew him her secrets The reason of this Assertion is palpable it is the nature of an Habit to render difficult Things easie harsh Things pleasant to fix a floating and uncertain Humour to Nurse and Ripen a weak and tender Disposition into Nature And 't is as reasonable to expect these effects in Religious as in any other sorts of Habits Lastly He who does not find Religion full of Pleasure who does not Glory in God and rejoyce in our Lord Jesus he who is not filled with an humble Assurance of the Divine Favour and a Joyful expectation of Immortality and Glory does yet want something he is yet defective with respect either to the brightness of Illumination the Absoluteness of Liberty or the Ardor of Love he may be a Good Man and have gone a great way in his Christian Race but there is some thing still behind to Compleat and Perfect him some Error or other creates him groundless Scruples some Incumbrance or Impediment or other whether an Infelicity of Temper or the Incommodiousness of his Circumstances or a little too warm an Application towards something of the World retards his Vigour and abates his Affections I have now finished all that I can think necessary to form a general Idea of Religious Perfection For I have not only given a plain Definition or Description of it and Confirm'd and Fortified that Description by Reason and Scripture and the currant Sense of all Sides and Parties but have also by various Inferences deduc'd from the General Notion of Perfection precluded all groundless Pretensions to it and enabled Men to see how far they are removed and distant from it or how near they approach it The next thing I am to do according to the Method I have proposed is to consider the Fruits and Advantages of Perfection A consideration which will furnish us with many great and I hope effectual Incitements or Motives to it and demonstrate its Subservencie to our Happiness CHAP. IV. A General Account of the Blessed Effects of Religious Perfection THE Glorious and Delightful Fruits of Religious Perfection may be reduc'd to these four Heads First It advances the Honour of the True and Living God and of his Son Jesus in the World Secondly It promotes the Good of Mankind Thirdly It produces in the Perfect Man a full Assurance of Eternal Happiness and Glory Fourthly It puts him in Possession of true Happiness in this Life Of the two former I shall say nothing here designing to insist upon them more particularly In the following Section under the Head of Zeal where I shall be oblig'd by my Method to consider the Fruit of it only I cannot here forbear Remarking That Perfection while it promotes the Honour of God and the Good of Man does at the same time promote our own Happiness too since it must on this account most effectually recommend us to the Love of the One and the Other Them that Honour me saith God I will Honour 1 Sam. 2.30 And our Saviour observes that even Publicans and Sinners love those who love them Matth. 5.46 Accordingly St. Luke tells us of Christ Luk. 2.52 That Jesus increased in Wisdom and Stature and in favour with God and Man and of those eminently Devout and Charitable Souls Act. 2. that they had favour with all the People so resistless a charm is the beauty and loveliness of Perfect Charity even in the most deprav'd and corrupt Times And what a Blessing now what a Comfort what a Pleasure is it to be the Favorite of God and Man The Third and Fourth I will now discourse of and that the more largely because as to Assurance it is the foundation of that Pleasure which is the richest Ingredient of Human Happiness in this Life And as to our present Happiness which is the fourth Fruit of Perfection it is the very thing for the sake of which I have ingag'd in my present subject And therefore it is very fit that I should render the tendency of Perfection to procure our present Happiness very conspicuous Beginning therefore with Assurance I will assert the Possibility of attaining it in this Life not by embroiling my self in the Brakes of several nice and subtle Speculations with which this subject is over-grown but by laying down in a Practical manner the Grounds on which Assurance depends by which we shall be able at once to discern the truth of the Doctrine of Assurance and its dependance upon Perfection Now Assurance may relate to the time Present or to Come For the Resolution of two Questions gives the Mind a perfect ease about this Matter The first is am I assured that I am at present in a state of Grace The second am I assured that I shall continue so to my Life's end To begin with the first the Answer of this Enquiry depends on three Grounds First A Divine Revelation which declares in General who shall be Saved namely They who Believe and Repent Nor does any Sect doubt but that Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as St. Paul speaks are the Indispensable Conditions of Life 'T is true the Notion of Repentance is miserably perverted by some and that of Faith by others But what remedy is there against the Lusts and Passions of Men The Scripture does not only require Repentance and Faith but it explains and describes the Nature of Both by such Conspicuous and Infallible Characters that no Man can be Mistaken in these two Points but his Error must be owing to some Criminal Prejudices or Inclinations that Byass and pervert him Good Men have ever been agreed in these Matters And Catholick Tradition is no where more uncontroulable then here the General Doctrine of all Ages hath been and in this still is that by Repentance we are to understand a New Nature and New Life And by Faith when distinguished from Repentance as it sometimes is in Scripture a Reliance upon the Mercy of God through the Merits and Intercession of Jesus and Atonement of his Blood Heaven lies open to all that perform these Conditions every Page of the Gospel attest this this is the Substance of Christ's Commission to his Apostles that they should Preach Repentance and Remission of
is All the claim the Sinner lays to Pleasure is confin'd to the Present Moment which is extreamly short and extreamly uncertain the Time that is Past and to Come he quits all Pretention to or ought to do so As to the time Past the thing is self evident For the Sinner looking back sees his Pleasures and Satisfactions the Good Man his Tryals and Temptations past and gone The Sinner sees an end of his Beauty and his Strength the Good Man of his Weaknesses and Follies the one when he looks back is encountred with Sin and Folly Wickedness and Shame the other with Repentance and Good Works Guilt and Fear haunt the Reflections of the one Peace and Hope attend those of the other As to the time to come the Atheist hath no Prospect at all beyond the Grave the Wicked Christian a very dismal one the weak and Imperfect a doubtful one only the Wise and Perfect an assured joyful and delightful one And this puts me in mind of that which is the proper Fruit of Perfection and the truest and greatest Pleasure of Human Life that is Assurance assurance of the Pardon of Sin assurance of the Divine Favour assurance of Immortality and Glory Need I prove that Assurance is an unspeakable Pleasure One would think that to Man who is daily engag'd in a Conflict with some Evil or other it were superfluous to prove that it is a mighty Pleasure to be rais'd though not above the Assault though not above the Reach yet above the Venom and Malignity of Evils To be fill'd with Joy and Strength and Confidence to ride triumphant under the Protection of the Divine Favour and see the Sea of Life swell and toss it self in vain in vain threaten the Bark it cannot sink in vain invade the Cable it cannot burst One would think that to Man who lives all his Life long in Bondage for fear of Death it should be a surprizing Delight to see Death lie gasping at his Feet Naked and Impotent without Sting without Terror One would finally think that to Man who lives rather by Hope then Enjoyment it should not be necessary to prove that the Christian's Hope whose Confidence is greater its Objects more glorious and its Success more certain than that of any worldly Fancy or Project is full of Pleasure and that it is a delightful Prospect to see the Heavens opened and Jesus our Jesus our Prince and Saviour sitting at the Right Hand of God Thus I have I think sufficiently made out the Subserviency of Perfection to the Happiness of this present Life which was the thing propos'd to be done in this Chapter Nor can I imagine what Objections can be sprung to invalidate what I have said unless there be any thing of Colour in these two 1. To reap the Pleasure will some one say which you have discrib'd here it requires something of an exalted Genius some Compass of Understanding some Sagacity and Penetration To this I Answer I grant indeed that some of those Pleasures which I have reckon'd up as belonging to the Perfect Man demand a Spirit rais'd a little above the Vulgar But the richest Pleasures not the most Polish'd and Elevated Spirits but the most Devout and Charitable Souls are best capable of Such are the Peace and Tranquility which arises from the Conquest and Reduction of all inordinate affections the satisfaction which accompanies a sincere and vigorous discharge of Duty and our Reflections upon it the Security and Rest which flows from Self-resignation and Confidence in the Divine Protection And lastly the Joy that springs from the full assurance of Hope But 2ly It may be Objected 't is true all these things seem to hang together well enough in Speculation but when we come to examine the matter of fact we are almost tempted to think that all which you have said to prove the ways of Wisdom ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths Peace amounts to no more then a pretty Amusement of the Mind and a Visionary Scheme of Happiness For how few are there if any who feel all this to be truth and Experiment the Pleasure you talk of How few are they in whom we can discover any signs of this Spiritual joy or fruits of a Divine Tranquility or Security I answer in a word The examples of a perfect and mature Vertue are very few Religion runs very low and the Love of God and Goodness in the Bosoms of most Christians suffers such an allay and mixture that it is no wonder at all if so imperfect a State breed but very weak and imperfect Hopes very faint and doubtful joys But I shall have occasion to examine the force of this Objection more fully when I come to the Obstacles of Perfection CHAP. V. Of the Attainment of Perfection Particularly an account of the Manner by which Man Advances or grows up to it I Have in the first second and third Chapters explain'd the Notion of Religious Perfection In the fourth Chapter I have insisted on two effects of it Assurance and Pleasure My method therefore now leads me to the Attainment of Perfection Here I will do too things 1st I will trace out the several Steps and Advances of the Christian towards it and draw up as it were a short History of his Spiritual Progress from the very Infancy of Vertue to its Maturity and Manhood 2ly I will discourse briefly of the Motives and Means of Perfection Of the Christian's Progress towards Perfection Many are the Figures and Metaphors by which the Scripture describes this alluding one while to the Formation Nourishment and Growth of the Natural man another while to that of Plants and Vegetables One while to the dawning and increasing Light that shines more and more to the perfect Day Another while to that succession of Labours and Expectations which the Husbandman runs through from Plowing to the Harvest But of all the Similes which the Spirit makes use of to this end there is one especially that seems to me to give us the truest and the liveliest Image of the Change of a Sinner into a Saint The Scripture represents Sin as a state of Bondage and Righteousness as a state of Liberty and teaches us that by the same steps by which an enslaved and oppressed People arrive at their Secular by the very same does the Christian at his Spiritual Liberty and Happiness First then as soon as any Judgment or Mercy or any other sort of Call awakens and penetrates the Sinner as soon as a clear Light breaks in upon him and makes him see and consider his own state he is presently agitated by various Passions according to his different Guilt and Temper or the different Calls and Motives by which he is wrought upon One while Fear another while Shame one while Indignation another while Hope fills his Soul He resents the Tyranny and complains of the Persecution of his Lusts he upbraids himself with his folly and discovers a meanness and shamefulness in
will ferment and work us up to the noblest Heights of Zeal I might here if it were necessary easily shew that Zeal has as happy an Influence on the publick as the private that this must animate that Justice and Mercy that supports the Throne that it is the Soul of that Honour Integrity Generosity and Religion which support the States and Kingdoms of the World and without which all Politick Systems must needs tend to a Dissolution But I have said enough And from what I have said the Truth of my Third Consideration naturally appears 3. Viz. That Zeal ministers most effectually to the Glory of God For if Zeal be in it self thus lovely thus necessary if the Fruits and Effects of it be thus serviceable to the Temporal and Eternal Interest of Man what a Lovely what an agreeable Notion of God shall we form from this one Consideration of him That he is the great Author of it That he is the Origine and Fountain of that Light and Heat of that Strength and Power of which 't is compounded and constituted He commands and exacts it he excites and encourages to it by the Promise of an Eternal Crown and the ravishing Fruition of himself he has planted the Seeds of it in our Nature and he cherishes them by the blessed and vigorous Influences of his Word and Spirit How gracious is the Divine Nature how gracious is the Divine Government when the Substance of his Laws is that we should love as Brethren that we should cloath the naked feed the hungry deliver the captive instruct the foolish comfort the afflicted forgive one another if need be seven times a day and such like If to do all this be an Argument of being Regenerate and born of God if this be a Proof of his Spirit ruling in us his Nature communicated to us and his Image stampt upon us how amiable must God be when we discern so much Benefit and so much Pleasure and so much Beauty and so much Loveliness in those Qualities which are but faint and imperfect Resemblances of Him In a word the Holiness of his Children and Servants is a Demonstration of the Holiness of God himself and in this consists the very Lustre of Divine Glory Holiness is the Flower of all his Attributes the most Perfect because the most Comprehensive of all his Divine Perfections For Holiness includes Wisdom Power and Goodness As to Goodness the Case is so plain that Holiness and Goodness are commonly used as Terms equivalent As to Wisdom 't is evident That no Action is commendable and lovely whatever the Matter of it be unless the Principle the Motive of it be Wise and rational therefore Wisdom cannot be separated from the Notion of Holiness Lastly as to Power this must needs be comprised in it too for Beneficence which is at least one great branch of Holiness must unavoidably imply Power in the Benefactor and Impotence and Want in the Beneficiary And this is the Notion wherein Holiness when ascribed to God in Scripture is generally taken Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory does express the Greatness and Majesty as well as the Rectitude and Purity of the Divine Nature and to sanctifie the Lord God in our Hearts is in the Language of the Scripture not only to love him for his Goodness but revere and fear him for his Majesty and Greatness Need I here add that the Excellencies of the Creature their Fitness and Subserviency to the great Ends of their Creation is the Glory of the Creator just as the Beauty Strength and Convenience of the Work is the Honour of the Architect if the Sun Moon and Stars the irrational and inanimate Parts of the Creation shew forth the Glory of God how much more do spiritual and rational Beings and Vertue is the Perfection of Reason and Zeal of Vertue for this is that which does directly and immediately advance those great Ends that are dearest to God as I have I think abundantly made out CHAP. XI Of Humility OUR Saviour has so often pronounced the humblest the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven He has so often promised the first place and the greatest Exaltation to the lowest Condescensions He was Himself so illustrious an Example of Lowliness of Heart of Poverty of Spirit and the Apostle has so expresly asserted his Joy and Crown to be the Reward of his Humility Phil. 2. That I can never think that Man can ever rise to a more eminent Height than that to which the Imitation of this Vertue of Christ will advance him The more Perfect therefore Man is the more humble must he be too The clearer View and the more assured Hope he has of Heaven the more unconcerned must he be for all those things which the World pays a Respect and Honour to the more he must be above them The more fervent his Love of God and his Neighbour grows the more confidently must he place all his Glory in this one thing the Conformity of his Affections and Life to that of the blessed Jesus Then is he Perfect and the same Mind is in him that was in Christ Jesus Finally the more he knows God the nearer he is admitted into Communion with him the more plainly will he discern at how infinite Distance he stands from the Divine Majesty and Purity and will prostrate himself even into Dust and Ashes before him The Perfect Man admires adores obeys loves relies trusts and resigns up himself and all that is dear to him to God He is nothing in his own Eyes he pretends to nothing he lays Claim to nothing on any other Title than that of the Goodness and Bounty of God Whatever Vertues he has he ascribes them to the Grace of God and the Glory and Immortality he expects he expects only as the Gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And whatever he be in himself he compares no himself with others but he proves his own Work that he may have Rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Nothing but Zeal for God or Charity for Man can put him upon the asserting his own Merit or Service but when glories it is like St. Paul in his Infirmities that the Power of Christ may rest upon him Need I here insist on the Fruit of Humility Surely 't is conspicuous to every one that thinks at all Great is the Peace and Rest of the humble Soul here and great will be his Glory hereafter He who loves not the World nor the things of it the Lust of the Fesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life enjoys a perpetual Calm and Serenity of Mind There is no Object that can raise any Storm in him there is nothing that can breed in him uneasie Desires and Fears He that loves the Father is fixt on an immutable and perfect Good and he that now quits all for God shall one day participate of the Fulness of God and that