more frequently required of or attributed to the Perfect Man in Scripture then Zeal and Fervency of Spirit in the ways of God and no wonder For when Actions flow at once from Principles and Custom when they spring from Love and are attended by Pleasure and are incited and quicken'd by Faith and Hope too How can it be but that we should repeat 'em with some Eagerness and feel an Holy Impatience as often as we are hindered or disappointed And as the Nature of the Thing shews that thus it ought to be so are there innumerable Instances in the Old Testament and the New which make it evident that thus it was Shall I mention the example of our Lord who went about doing good Act. 10.38 Shall I propose the Labours and Travils of St. Paul These Patterns it may be will be judged by some too bright and dazling a Light for us to look on or at least too Perfect for us to copy after and yet St. John tells us that he who says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked 1 Joh. 2.6 and we are exhorted to be followers of the Apostles as they were of Christ But if the Fervency of Christ and St. Paul seemed to have soar'd out of the reach of our imitation we have Inferiour Instances enough to prove the Zeal and Fruitfulness of Habitual Goodness Thus David says of himself Psal 119.10 with my whole Heart have I sought thee and Josiah 2 King 23.25 is said to have turned to the Lord with all his Soul and with all his Might How fervent was Anna wo departed not from the Temple but served God with Fastings and Prayers night and day Luk. 2.37 how Charitable Tabitha who was full of good Works and Alms-deeds which she did Act. 9.36 Where shall I place Cornelius With what words shall I set out his Virtues with what but those of the Holy Ghost Act. 10.2 He was a devout Man and one that feared God with all his House which gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God alway But peradventure some may imagine that there is something singular and extraordinary in these Eminent Persons which we must never hope to equal but must be content to follow them at a vast Distance Well let this be so What have we to say to whole Churches animated by the same Spirit of Zeal What are we to think of the Churches of Macedonia whose Charity St. Paul thus magnifies 2 Cor. 8.2 3. in a great trial of Affliction the abundance of their Joy and their deep Poverty abounded to the Riches of their Liberality For to their power I bear record yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves And St. Paul declares himself perswaded of the Romans that they were full of goodness filled with all knowledge Rom. 15.14 And of the Corinthians he testifies that they were enriched in every thing and came behind in no gift 1 Cor. 1.5 6. that they did abound in all things in Faith in diligence c. 2 Cor. 8.7 I will stop here 't is in vain to heap up more Instances I have said enough to shew that Vigour and Fervency in the Service of God is no miraculous Gift no extraordinary Prerogative of some peculiar Favorite of Heaven but the natural and inseparable Property of a well confirmed Habit of Holiness Lastly is Constancy and Steadiness the Property of an Habit It is an undoubted Property of Perfection too In Scripture Good Men are every where represented as standing fast in the Faith steadfast and unmovable in the works of God holding fast their Integrity In one word as constantly following after Righteousness and maintaining a good Conscience towards God and Man And so Natural is This to one Habitually good that St. John affirms of such a one that he cannot sin 1 Joh. 3.9 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 Accordingly Job is said to have feared God and eschewed Evil which must be understood of the constant course of his Life Zachary and Elizabeth are said to be Righteous walking in all the Commandments of God blameless Luk. 1.6 Enoch Noah David and other excellent Persons who are pronounc'd by God Righteous and Just and Perfect are said in Scripture to walk with God to serve Him with a Perfect Heart with a full purpose of Heart to cleave to him and the like And this is that Constancy which Christians are often exhorted to watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit ye like Men be strong 1 Cor. 16.13 And of which the first followers of our Lord left us such remarkable Examples The Disciples are said to have been continually in the Temple blessing and praising God Luk. 24. And the first Christians are said to have continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers Acts 2.42 Thus I think I have sufficiently cleared my Notion of Perfection from Scripture Nor need I multiply more Texts to prove what I think no Man can doubt of unless he mistake the main Design and End of the Gospel which is to raise and exalt us to a steady Habit of Holiness The end of the Commandment saith St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.5 is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned This is the utmost Perfection Man is capable of to have his Mind enlightned and his Heart purified and to be inform'd acted and influenc'd by Faith and Love as by a vital principle And all this is Essential to Habitual Goodness If any one desire further Light or Satisfaction in this Matter let him read the eighth Chapter to the Romans and he will soon acknowledge that he there finds the substance of what I have hiterto advanced There though the Word it self be not found the thing called Perfection is described in all the Strength and Beauty in all the Pleasure and Advantages of it There the Disciple of Jesus is represented as one who walks not after the Flesh but after the Spirit as one whom the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set free from the Law of Sin and Death one who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does not mind or relish the things of the Flesh but the things of the Spirit one in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells He does not stand at the Door and knock he does not make a transient visit but here he reigns and rules and inhabits One finally in whom the Body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness And the Result of all this is the Joy and Confidence the Security and Transport that becomes the Child of God Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to Fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are
and the Experience of the best Men that we must watch and pray and contend labour and persevere and that long too e're we can attain it And whoever fancies himself rapt up into the third Heaven on a sudden will find himself as suddenly led down to the Earth again if he do not use his utmost diligence to fortifie his Resolutions to cherish the New-born Flame and to guard and improve his Vertues 3ly It may be Objected against the account I have given of the growth of Vertue that when I come to the Maturity of it my Colours are too bright my Strokes too bold and the Form I have given it too Divine For you discribe it will one say as if Man now grown Perfect had nothing to do but to enjoy God and himself as if he were already entered into Rest and did actually sit down with Christ in Heavenly places as if in a word Vertue were no longer his task but Pleasure as if he had nothing to do but to rejoyce continually nothing further to press after nothing to combate nothing to contend with Whereas the Fathers generally and all Judicious Modern Writers seem to place Perfection in nothing higher then in a perpetual Progress towards it they look upon Life as a perpetual warfare and utterly deny any such Height or Eminence as is rais'd above Clouds and Storms above Troubles and Temptations But to this I have several things to say which will clear my sense about this Matter and dispel all Objections First I have described the last Stage of the Christian's spiritual Progress which I call a state of Zeal and in which I suppose the Christian to commence Perfect this I say I have described in the same manner and as near as I could in the same words which the Scripture does Secondly I do not pretend any where to assert that there is any state in this Life rais'd above Tryals and Temptations Alas The most Perfect Man will find it work enough to make good the Ground he has gain'd and maintain the Conquest he has won much watchfulness and labour much humility and fear and many other Vertues are necessary to Perseverance in a state of Perfection Thirdly As the World goes now and indeed ever did Perfection is a state we arrive at very late and all the way to it full of Labour and Travel full of Dangers and Difficulties so that upon this account the Life of Man may well enough be said to be a perpetual Warfare But Fourthly I do by no means affirm that the Perfect Man is incapable of Growth and Improvement Of this I shall have occasion to unfold my sense more fully afterwards In the mean time I cannot forbear observing here that there is a great difference between the growth of an Imperfect and a Perfect Christian for supposing Grace to be always increasing and the very Maturity of Vertue to admit of Degrees yet the marks and distinctions of such different Degrees are so nice and delicate that the Advances of the Perfect Man are scarcely perceptible to himself without the closest and strictest Enquiry Much less can they fall under the Observation of others The first Change of a Sinner from Darkness to Light from Vice to Virtue from an aversion for God and Goodness to a Sincere though not a Perfect Love of both is very palpable So again the change from a state of weakness and inconstancy to one of strength of conflict and difficulty to one of ease and liberty of fear and doubt to one of confidence and pleasure is little less evident and sensible But the several degrees of growth afterwards the improvements whatever they be of a Mature state are of another Nature not consisting in a Change but Adition and that made insensibly Here therefore the Perfect Man in order to maintain the Peace and Pleasure of his Mind need not enter into a Nice and Scrupulous Examination of the Degrees and Measures of his Virtues 't is sufficient that he make good his Post 't is enough if he follow the advice of St. Paul 1 Cor. 15.58 If he be steadfast and unmoveable and always abounding in the Works of the Lord. CHAP. VI. Of the Means of Perfection SHould I insist particularly on every one of the Means or Instruments of Perfection it would lead me through the whole Systeme of Religion it would oblige me to treat of all the Articles of our Faith and all the Parts of Moral Righteousness For the Vertues of the Gospel do all afford mutual support and nourishment to one another and mutually Minister to their own growth and strength And Prayer and the Lord's Supper not to mention Meditation Psalmody Conversation Discipline are founded upon the belief of all the Mysteries of our Religion and consist in the Exercise of almost all Christian Graces as Repentance Faith Hope Charity But this would be an endless task I purpose therefore here only to lay down some few General Observations which may serve for directions in the use of Gospel Means point out the End we are to aim at and enable us to reap the utmost Benefit from them These Observations are 1. The Practice of Wisdom and Vertue is the best way to improve and strengthen both 2. The Two general and immediate Instruments as of Conversion so of Perfection too are the Gospel and the Spirit 3. The natural and immediate Fruit of Meditation Prayer Eucharist Psalmody and good Conversation is the quickning and enlivening the Conscience the Fortifying and Confirming our Resolutions and the raising and keeping up an Heavenly Frame of Spirit 4. The immediate Ends of Discipline are the subduing the Pride of the Heart and reducing the Appetites of the Body 5. Lastly Some kinds of Life are better suited and accommodated to the great Ends of Religion and Vertue than others I will very briefly Illustrate each of these Observations and suggest from them such Rules as I shall judge most serviceable to promote Perfection § 1. The Practice of Wisdom and Vertue is the best way to improve and strengthen both This is a Proposition almost Self-evident For besides that it is acknowldg'd on all Hands that the frequent repetition of single Acts of Vertue is the natural way to arrive at an Habit of it the Practice of Vertue gives a Man great boldness towards God mingles Joy and Pleasure in all his Addresses to him purifies and enlightens the Mind and entitles him to more plentiful Measures of Grace and higher degrees of Favour If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free Joh. 8.31.3 To him that hath shall be given and he shall have more abundance Mat. 13.12 If this be so as undoubtedly it is it is plain That we ought not to be fond of such a Solitude or Retirement as cuts off the opportunity of many Vertues which may be daily practis'd in a more publick and active Life The true
slight and insignificant that they seem to be attended by no mischievous Con̄sequence nor to offer any Dishonour to God nor Injustice to Man But I doubt this Notion of Venial Sin has no Solidity in it For either Men perform such Actions Deliberately or Indeliberately knowing them to be sinful or believing them to be innocent Now if we perform any Action Deliberately and knowing it to be sinful we never ought to look upon this as a little Sin much less a Venial one The Reason of this is plain The First Notion that every Man has of Sin is that it is forbidden by and displeasing to God and then to do that deliberately which we know will provoke God is an Argument of a fearless and irreligious Heart a Heart destitute of the Love of God the Love of Righteousness and Heaven But if a Man transgress in a trifling Instance indeliberately this alters the Case for the Matter not being of Importance enough to excite the Intention and Application of the Mind and there being consequently no Malignity of the Will in an Action where there was no Concurrence of the Judgment I cannot but think this may very well pass for an Human Infirmity for all the fault that can be here laid to the Charge of Man is Incogitancy or Inadvertency and that too as excusable a one as can be Lastly where the Matter of an Action is very trifling and inconsiderable and draws after it no ill Consequence either with respect to God or Man in this Case if a Man judge it no Sin I cannot think it i◠any to him though by a Nice and Scrupulous Construction it may fall within the Compass of some Divine Prohibition The Distinction of the Schoolmen is good enough here it is besides the Law but not against it or it is against the Letter but not the Design and Intention of the Law of God I cannot think that it is consistent with the Infinite Goodness of God to punish such things as these with Eternal Misery or that it can become a Man of sense seriously to afflict his Soul for them I cannot for my Life perswade my self that I should provoke God if passing thorough a Field of my Neighbour's Corn or Pease I should pull off an Ear or Cod or passing through his Orchard should eat an Apple The Notion I have of God and the great End and Design of his Laws will not suffer me to entertain such trifling weak and superstitious Fancies And here I cannot but take notice of two Things which very much perplex the Minds of some good People that is an Idle Word and Jesting concerning both which 't is very plain That such are miserably mistaken and that they are no sins at all unless unreasonable and superstitious scruples make them so This I say on supposition that by Idle word they mean only such talk as does not tend to Edification and by Jesting only that which is Innocent and Divertive By an Idle Word Matt. 12. our Saviour plainly means a blasphemous Word if that saying of our Saviour of every idle Word c. be to be limited and confined by the sense of the Context For the occasion of that Assertion of our Lord was the Blasphemy which the Jews belch'd out against his Miracles Or if our Lord here on this occasion advances a general Doctrine then by an Idle Word we must understand a wicked one proceeding from a corrupt and naughty Heart and tending as directly to promote Impiety as gracious and wholsome Discourse does to promote Edification This is evident from ver 25. a good Man out of the good treasure of the Heart bringeth forth good things and an evil Man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things And ver 37. for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned By Jesting Eph. 5.4 The Apostle understands the modish Raillery of the Greeks which was generally made up of Prophaneness and Wantonness or brisk and sharp Ironies This is plain both from the Company we find it in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filthiness and Foolish Speaking and from the Character given it in common with the other two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the very same that is given the most infamous and vilest Lusts and Passions Rom. 1.28 Things not convenient is a diminutive Expression implying such things as contain much Turpitude and Wickedness in them Beza as appears by his Notes read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place foolish speaking or not and Jesting which as he observes makes Jesting the same thing with foolish Speaking or Buffoonry And justifies that Jesting which consists in a pleasant and divertive Facetiousness from 1 King 18.27 2 King 3.23 Isa 14.11 2. Some think that the meer Reluctancy and Opposition of Conscience against Sin is sufficient to constitute a Sin of Infirmity And this has received no small Countenance from such an Interpretation of Rom. 7. as makes Holiness to be nothing else but a Vicissitude of Desires and Actions repugnant to one another But at this rate no Man's Sins would be Damning but his whose Conscience were sear'd and when ones Heart did condemn one God would be sure to acquit one which agrees very ill with St. John If our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things 1 Joh. 3.21 No man unless arrived at a Reprobate Sense can do that which is evil without Reluctancy for his Conscience will forbid him as long as it has the least Degree of Tenderness in it and restrain him as far as it has power And as to Rom. 7. it has been abundantly consider'd and I think sufficiently proved to belong to those who are the Servants of Sin as Rom. 8. does to those who are set free St. Austin indeed tells us that he understood that Chapter at first as the Pelageans did for a Person under the Law and under the Power of Sin But that he found himself constrained afterwards to understand it of St. Paul himself I will not examin the Solidity of his Reasons 'T is enough to me that his Change of Opinion does Religion no harm For he is so far from making a state of Holiness to consist with Acts of Deliberate Sin against Conscience that he will not excuse so much as rebellious Motions and Appetites if consented to All that he contends for in a good Man from this Chapter is That Lapsed Nature will sometimes exert it self even in the best Men in disorderly and distemper'd Appetites 3. Others Lastly will have those Sins into which we fall either over-power'd by the strength or wearied out by the Assiduity or Length of a Temptation pass for Infirmities But this Opinion has as little ground as the two former I can find no Scripture that countenances this Notion There are indeed some of great Reputation who have promoted it But I think the words of St. Paul make against it 1 Cor.
we courted till we be possess'd of a Habit of that Vertue which is a direct Contradiction to it and take as much pleasure in the Obedience as ever we did in the Transgression of a Divine Command 2ly There are some Sins of that provoking Nature so criminal in their Birth and mischievous in their Consequences That one single Act or Commission of one of these is equivalent to a Habit of others such is Murther Idolatry Perjury Adultery these cannot be committed without renouncing Humanity as well as Christianity without resisting the Instincts and Impulses of Nature as well as the Eight of the Gospel and the Grace of the Spirit We must break thorough a great many Difficulties and Terrors e're we can come at these Sins we must commit many other in order to commit one of these we must deliberate long resolve desperately and in Defiance of God and Conscience and what is the Effect of Habit in other Instances is a necessary Preparative in these that is Obduration In this Case therefore the unhappy Man that has been guilty of any one of these must not look upon himself as set free when he is come to a Resolution of never repeating it again But then when he loaths and abhors himself in Dust and Ashes when he has made the utmost Reparation of the Wrong he is capable of when if the Interest of Vertue require it he is content to be oppress'd with Shame and Sufferings when in one word a long and constant Course of Mortification Prayers Tears and good Works have washed off the Stain and Guilt 2. We must be free not only from a Habit but from single Acts of deliberate presumptuous Sin The Reason is plain Mortal Sin cannot be committed without wounding the Conscience grieving the Spirit and renouncing our Hopes in God through Christ for the time at least The wages of Sin is Death is true not only of Habits but single Acts of Deliberate Sin Death is the penalty the Sanction of every Commandment and the Commandment does not prohibit Habits only but single Acts too Nor is there indeed any room for Doubt or Dispute here but in one Case which is If a Righteous Man should be taken off in the very Commission of a Sin which he was fallen into Here indeed much may be said and with much Uncertainty But the Resolution of this Point does not as far as I can see minister to any good or necessary End and therefore I will leave it to God In all other Cases every thing is clear and plain For if the Servant of God fall into a presumptuous Sin 't is universally acknowledg'd that he cannot recover his Station but by Repentance If he repent presently he is safe but if he continue in his Sin if he repeat it he passes into a state of Wickedness widens the Breach between God and his Soul declines insensibly into a Habit of sin and renders his Wound more and more incurable 'T is to little purpose I think here to consider the vast Difference there is in the Commission even of the same sin between a Child of God and a Child of Wrath because a Child of God must not commit it at all if he do though it be with Reluctancy though it be as it were with an imperfect Consent and with a divided Soul though the Awe of Religion and Conscience seems not utterly to have forsaken him even in the midst of his sin though his Heart smite him the very Minute it is finish'd and Repentance and Remorse take off the Relish of the unhappy Draught yet still 't is Sin 't is in its Nature Damnable and nothing but the Blood of Jesus can purge the Guilt 3. The Perfect Man may be supposed not only actually to abstain from Mortal Sin but to be advanced so far in the Mortification of all his inordinate Affections as to do it with Ease and Pleasure with Constancy and Delight For it must reasonably be presumed that his Victory over ungodly and worldly Lust is more confirm'd and absolute his Abhorrence of them more deep and sensible more fixt and lasting than that of a Beginner or Babe in Christ The Regenerate at first fears the Consequence of sin but by Degrees he hates the Sin it self The Purity of his Soul renders him now incapable of finding any pleasure in what he doted on before and the Love of God and Vertue raiseth him above the Temptations which he was wont to fall by old things are past away and all things are become new 4. Lastly The Perfect Man's Abstinence is not only more easie and steady but more entire and compleat also than that of others He has a regard to the End and Design of the Law to the Perfection of his Nature to the Purity and Elevation of his Sowl and therefore he expounds the Prohibitions of the Law in the most enlarg'd Sense and interprets them by a Spirit of Faith and Love He is not content to refrain from Actions directly criminal but shuns every Appearance of Evil and labours to mortifie all the Dispositions and Tendencies of his Nature towards it and to decline whatever Circumstances of Life are apt to betray the Soul into a Love of this World or the Body he has crucified the World and the Body too That Pleasure that Honour that Power that Profit which captives the Sinners tempts and tries and disquiets the Novice is but a burthen a trouble to him he finds no Gust no relish in these things He is so far from Intemperance so far from Wantonness so far from Pride and Vanity that could he without any Disadvantage to the Interest of Religion he would imitate the Meanness the Plainness the Laboriousness the Self-denial of our Saviour's Life not only in Disposition and Affection of his Soul but even in his outward State and Deportment and would prefer it far above the Pomp and Shew of Life In one word he enquires not how far he may Enjoy and be Safe but how far he may deny himself and be wise he is so far from desiring forbidden Satisfactions that he is unwilling and afraid to find too much Satisfaction in the natural and necessary Actions of an animal Life I need not prove this to any one who has read the foregoing Chapters for it is what I have been doing throughout this Treatise It is nothing but what is consonant to the whole Tenour of the Scripture and to the Example of the best Times And 't is conformable to what the best Authors have writ who have any thing of Life and Spirit in their Works or have any true Notion of the great Design of Christian Religion which is an heavenly Conversation Let any one but cast his Eye on St. Basil or any other after him who aim'd at the same thing I now do the promoting Holiness in the World in the Beauty and Perfection of it and he will acknowledge that I am far from having carried this matter too high I
disturb and indispose the Body many are the things which distract and clog the Mind from both which because we shall never be utterly free in this World therefore our Devotion will never be so constant and uniform but that it will have its Interruptions and Allays and Dulness and Lifelessness will sometimes seize upon the best of Christians But then if this spiritual Deadness in Religious Exercises be fixt constant and habitual it must needs be a Proof of a corrupt Mind For 't is impossible that there should be a true Principle of Grace within which should never or very rarely shew it self in the Sincerity and Fervency of our Devotion How is it possible that that Man who is generally slight and superficial in his Confession should have a true Compunction and sincere Contrition for Sins How is it possible that he who is generally indifferent formal and cold in his Petitions should have a just Sense either of his Wants or Dangers or a true Value for the Grace and Favour of God The Sum is Deadness in Duty is either General or Rare Common or Accidental If it befalls us Commonly 't is an Argument of an unregenerate Heart if Rarely 't is not But if the Returns of Life and Deadness in Duty be so frequent and unconstant that 't is impossible to determin whether the one or the other prevail most then 't is plain that the State also of such a Man is very dubious 2. Duty must never be Destitute of Sincerity though it may of Pleasure and Transport it must never be without Seriousness and Concernment though it may be very defective in the Degrees of Love and Ardency Thus in Prayer the Tenderness and Contrition of the Soul dissolv'd in Love and Sorrow is a Frame of Spirit much above what the Penitent commonly arrives at But an Aversion for Sin a firm Resolution to forsake it and a hearty Desire to be enabled by the Grace of God so to do is what he must not want So again Joy and Transport the Ardor and Exultancy of Mind is the Effect of a clear Understanding an assur'd Conscience a Heart enflam'd with Love and a strict Life Whoever therefore falls short in the one will generally fall short in the other too But every Christian that is truly such must have a true Sense of his Wants a hearty desire to please God a true Notion of his Goodness and a steady Dependance upon it thorough Christ And these things are sufficient to unite our Hearts and our Lips in the same Petitions to make us in earnest in all the Duties we perform and careful to intend the main end of them 3. The Prayer of the Perfect Man is generally offer'd up with the tenderest and most exalted Passion and a holy Pleasure mingles it self in every part of his Office his Petitions and Praises his Confessions Deprecations and Confidences are all of them Expressions of warm and Delightful Passions And how can we well conceive it otherwise must not those Praises and Magnificates be full of Joy and Transport which flow from a full Assurance of the Divine Favour from a long Experience of his Love and from the glorious Prospect of a blessed Eternity can those Deprecations and Confidences want a heavenly Calm and Tranquility of Spirit which rest upon the Mediation of Jesus the Promises of an immutable God and the Pledge of his Spirit can those Confessions want Contrition that have all the Tenderness that holy Zeal and the humblest Reflections can inspire them with which are powered forth by a Soul enlightn'd purify'd strong in the Faith rooted and grounded in Love by a Soul consequently that has the liveliest Sense of the Deformity and Danger of Sin of the Beauty and Pleasure of Holiness of the infinite Goodness of God and of that Love of Christ that passeth Knowledge Can finally those Petitions want Desire and Flame which are offer'd up by a Soul that hungers and thirsts after Righteousness that counts all things but dung and dross in comparison of Jesus that pants after God that long◠to be dissolv'd and to be with Christ And as we may thus from the Nature of things collect what kind of Prayers those of the Perfect Man generally are so may we from the Example of the Royal Psalmist and others demonstrate all this to be no vain Speculation but real Matter of Fact 'T is true Weight and Dignity of Matter Gravity and Significancy of Expression are the Characters most conspicuous in Publick Offices in the best and most ancient Prayers and particularly in the Lord's Prayer We find in them few or no Figures of Speech no Vehemence of Expression But it is true too That the Devotion of a Soul disengag'd as it were from the Body retir'd from the World collected within it self raised by daily Contemplation and accustom'd to Converse with Heaven flows naturally and easily Those great Ideas which such a Prayer as that of our Lord's Composure present to the Mind inflame the Desire awaken all the Passions of the Holy Man without any Labour of Imagination or Artifice of Words Thus have I considered the Nature of Lukewarmness and shew'd how far the Perfect Man is remov'd from it My next business is to perswade and exhort Men to quit it and become sincere and zealous Only I must First take notice by the way That besides Idleness and Lukewarmness there is sometimes a Third Cause or occasion of Unfruitfulness which deserves never to be slighted that is Fickleness Vnsteadiness or Inconstancy Many there are who often purpose project and resolve great Matters but never bring forth any Fruit to Perfection What they Build one day they throw down another They put on as many various moral Forms as Proteus in the Poets does natural ones sometimes they are in a fit of Zeal at other times nothing but Coldness and bare Form sometimes they are in the Camp of Vertue sometimes in that of Vice In a word they halt like the Israelites between God and Baal and are divided and distracted between a Sense of Duty and the Love of the World and the Body between the Checks and Incitements of Conscience on the one hand and some foolish Inclinations on the other This State I have had an Eye too very often nor shall I forget it here but shall propose such a Method for the Cure of Lukewarmness and Formality as may be also of very good use to all such as fall short of the main End of Religion being not truly and thoroughly changed but are only almost perswaded to be Christians and only not altogether so far from the Kingdom of Heaven as others This being premised I proceed and 1. I will Enquire into the Causes from whence Lukewarmness and all abortive Attempts after Vertue flow 2. I will shew the Folly Guilt and Danger of a Laodicean State § 1. Of the Causes c. These are generally Four 1. Men finding themselves under great Difficulties in coming up to
Holiness in the true genuine and Gospel Notion of it have endeavour'd to enlarge the Way and widen the Gate that leads to Life and have therefore form'd to themselves more soft and pliant Notions of Vice and Vertue Such as may be more easily accommodated either to their particular Inclinations or to the Modes and Fashions of the World than those of Christ and his Apostles can Hence it is that amongst such as pretend to some regard for Religion Humility Poverty of Spirit Self-denial Abstinence and Mortification are so far from being visible in their Practice that we seem to have almost lost the Notion of them And the Pride of Life and the Lust of the Eyes are so universally practised that though we know that these in St. John are the Names of Vices we scarce know what the Things themselves are We have confounded the Mears and Bounds of Vice and Vertue and such are the Freedoms I will now say of those who profess Debauchery but Christianity that if they be consistent with the Sanctity and Purity of the Gospel 't will be hard to determine what Excess is And in a word how many are there who making a Profession of living by Faith and looking for the blessed Hope and the glorious Appearance of Christ do yet live as if all the business of Life were to get and enjoy as much of this World as they can who professing themselves the Disciples of Christ whose Heart was lowly his Fortune mean and his Appearance humble do yet lay out their Time their Labour their Wealth on this one Design to make such a shew such a Figure in the World as may render them the Gaze and Envy of their Neighbours And as our Indulgence to our selves in these things which relate to the Pride and Vanitfy of Life and the Ease and Appetites of the Body is very great so on the same ground and for the same reason is our Zeal for the Interest of Vertue and the Honour of God very little faint and remiss Conversation has very little Savour very little Grace in it and we are so far from being resolute and industrious to awe or shame Vice abroad that we our selves should be almost out of Countenance if we should be observ'd to pay any particular Respect to Religion or Vertue in Company The Government of our Families is so lax and easie that it savours more of Coldness and Indifferency than Fervency of Spirit 'T is true indeed these I am speaking of do generally frequent the House of God and they sit before him as his People and delight to hear his Word But so did the Jews when God tells them in the Prophet Ezek. 33.31 that their hearts went after their Covetousness And in the Prophet Isaiah we have but an odd Character of the Morals of these People of whom God saith yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways nay further they delight in approaching to God Isa 58.2 Now though such as I am speaking of may not be guilty to this Degree so as to be chargeable with open Wickedness yet I am very much afraid that even in this Duty they but promote the Cheat and Imposture they put upon themselves and make their Diligence in this point minister to quiet their Consciences in their Laodicean State for 't were easie to prove that such as these do more generally aim at the Entertainment of the Ear than the Reformation of the Heart And we may say of Preachers now as God did of Ezekiel And lo thou art unto them as a lovely Song of one that has a very pleasant Voice Ezek. 33.32 the Musick of the Voice the Gracefulness of Delivery a Flow of Words the Surprize of Novelty and Notion the Beauty of Sentences and the Sparkling of Wit and Fancy or an Appearance of Learning these are I doubt too aften the things that draw together and charm an Auditory And so all are pleased but none converted or edified for who sweats or blushes who trembles or grows pale at these Sermons who goes away from them wounded or struct through serious and pensive full of pious Fears and devout Desires 2. A Laodicean State springs from Sloth and Pusillanimity or the Want of a thorough and well-grounded Resolution This was one Cause of the Israelites Fluctuation and Uncertainty they were indeed desirous of a Canaan but were not forward to purchase it by tedious Marches hazardous Encounters and the Hardship of Hunger and Thirst and such like They were ever and anon willing to have preferr'd the Dishonour and Servitude of Egypt with Security and Fulness before a Canaan on these Tems And thus it is this day with Christians of a Laodicean Spirit and a doubtful staggering Allegiance An Heaven they would have but would not purchase it at too dear a raâ—e they would be accounted the Disciples of Christ and share in the Merits of his Sufferings but they would not take up his Sufferings but they would not take up his Cross in any sense and follow him But alas Israel might as well have gained their Liberty without going out of Egypt or a Canaan without Travel and Hardship and Blood as these Vertue and Heaven without Watchfulness and Industry We may as well hope to-support and increase the Health and Strength of the Body without Food or Exercise as that of the Soul without Meditation and Prayer we may as soon Conquer our Enemies without Discipline Expence and Blows as master our Corruptions and become Vertuous without spiritual Watchfulness Travel or Contention There is indeed Force and Efficacy enough in the Word of God to enlighten the Mind and purifie the Heart if we would but frequently and seriously Read and Meditate it The Grace of the Spirit is sufficient to conquer our Corruptions and strengthen and establish us in Faith and Obedience if we did but earnestly and frequently pray for it and cherish and improve it when obtain'd The Means which God has prescribed are undoubtedly proper and suitable powerful and effectual to the Attainment Preservation and Increase of Holiness and all his Ordinances have a Divine Vertue and Energy in them if they be but duly and consciensciously made use of But if we do not watch if we do not meditate if we do not pray if we expose our selves to a vain and trifling Conversation if we Indulge the Body all the Ease it is inclined to and put our selves upon no Duties practise no Discipline that we have any Reluctancy for 't is not to be wonder'd at if our Vertue be crazy and sickly if our Performances be cold and unedifying our Faith weak our Affections low and grovelling our Life unsteady and unprofitable our Religion destitute of true Pleasure and our latter End of any rational Comfort or well-grounded Confidence 'T is naturally to be expected that the Soul of the Sluggard should be like his Field Prov. 24.30 I went by the Field of the Slothful and by the Vineyard of the Man