being fully deliver'd by such Miraculous Testimony as cannot reasonably be deny'd so that those who will not be induc'd in the exercise of their Freedom to study this Revelation which God be thanked he has given us in Writing and observe or practice the Terms of their Happiness it proposes can never certainly be prevail'd upon by any other Courses that Heaven can design nor do I mean that this Spirit should dictate words to People which perhaps he never did either to Prophets or Apostles only presenting a Scheme of Divine Truths to their Minds but leaving the Language to themselves to be express'd according to their different ways of Education and the prevailing Temper in them as we may observe their Figures and Stile ever answer'd these I say I do not mean that the Spirit should dictate words to People enable them to speak even the known Doctrines or Rules of the Gospel after an Extempore manner which would supersede their own Faculties and probably be an occasion of their Neglects in Heavenly Knowledge as it would greatly administer to Spiritual Pride and Contempt of others both which we may see the example of in a sort of Men among us that only conceit these things of themselves But my meaning is that the Spirit communicates such Light and Grace such clearer Informations of all saving Truths with respect to the Understanding such stronger Motives towards the rectifying of the Will upon our compliance with the means afforded us our due perusal of the Sacred Volumes the Dictates of this Spirit our honest Endeavours in the ways of Godliness according to the Precepts deliver'd in those Volumes as will secure us from any dangerous Error in point of Doctrine and enable us against all our evil Affections for every Vertue of a Christian Life we ever obediently following his Guidance and comporting with him This I mean by the larger Gifts of the holy Spirit in a Gospel-state that being dispens'd on our due Concourse with his first Motions a Vertuous Temper by that means after some measure obtain'd in our Minds they are only in order to our farther attainment of that Temper to afford our infirm lapsed Natures proper Assistances for that end not to operate in fluent Discourses or particular Revelations when we already have a complete Book given forth by this Spirit of our Faith and Practice that is of our whole Duty what God enjoyns us or is requir'd of us in the nature of Things with regard to our eternal Bliss and especially we cannot suppose this holy Inspirer thus to operate after this manner where Men imploy not their main Industry do not diligently Meditate in this Heavenly Book which Moses with respect to the Old Testament commanded his Charge the Israelites to do Night and Day Deut. 6.7.11.19 nor prepare their Minds by a more eminent degree of Gospel-Morals or Holiness of Life as some People who must be Conscious of their Defects in both these Instances unreasonably maintain of themselves and others that they are enabl'd whether to Preach or to Pray and I am apt to think as much without Fore-thought or Study too as the Apostles were And then as to this Doctrine of Habits the establishing the Spiritual Life the Heavenly Felicities and Joys upon them which I all-along here do as I do likewise the more liberal Gifts of the blessed Comforter in our Souls tho' this may not possibly be admitted by all but a pure Obedience not as it any ways disposes us for them accounted the Term of those great Rewards yet this Doctrine I think however it may be rejected plainly appears to be the Import of the Gospel-Law as this is not satisfy'd with outward Performances Opus operatum bare Acts of Obedience but every where condemns such giving them their deserv'd Stile of Hypocrisie when they are alone and requiring a compliance of the reasonable part a reconcilement of the Heart to its several Precepts that these be observ'd or conform'd withal in our very Thoughts which would be quite a needless Discipline unless an inward frame thus attainable were necessary for the Graces our Lord purchased the Joys he proposes And besides our blessed Saviour expresly says he repeats it to us that we must be born again or else we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 1.13.3.3 5. that is as he explains it we are to obtain a new Nature quite in opposition to the Desires of Flesh have another Temper advanc'd in our Spirits according to the Mind and Will of God so as that we may be capable of his Heavenly Bliss And the Apostles frequently tell us in Emblematical Phrases with reference to Christ that we must put off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh be altogether dead to them buried with our blessed Redeemer in Baptism when taking upon us his holy Profession we are to renounce those abominable Practices and likewise thro' the Faith of the operation of God his Almighty Power declaring it self in our honest Endeavours We must be raised with him to righteousness of Life Col. 2.12 Rom. 6.3 That we must crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts whatever proceeds from that evil Principle Gal. 5.24 that we being Dead as Christians should be to these Worldly Enjoyments and our true Life hid with Christ in God we must mortifie the Members of our Unregenerate Man which are set upon the Earth Earthly Interests or Pleasures there recounted by that Apostle Col. 3.3 5. This old Man we are injoyn'd again to put off which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to put on the new Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 24. Col. 3.9 10. we must be transform'd by the renewing of our Minds Rom. 12.2 All which places being so many Testimonies of the holy Spirit besides the plain Assertion of our Saviour evidently set forth that 't is something beyond a mere Obedience which duly distinguishing may be accounted the Effect thereof where sincerely perform'd from just Motives viz. a Habit of Piety as our Minds are recover'd from the Affections of Body a Spiritualiz'd Temper with such sort of Appetites or Desires in it that disposes Men for their eternal Bliss not the pure Instances of Obedience only which may possibly be perform'd even habitually too thro' a kind of Mechanism or for sinister Purposes without any amendment of Spirit or reformation in the Soul the sensual Nature with its proper Offspring still being the reigning Principle in such Persons And the Apostle expresly confirms this that it must be a Habit of Christian Purity a Triumph or Mastery over the Desires of Flesh that founds the Disposition for our true Happiness declaring likewise that an Indulgence of these lower Appetites is the Genuine Cause of our eternal Sufferings the fruitful Parent or Seed-plot of our Miseries whence they naturally spring To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and Peace And again if ye live
then have very short Prospects of things whatever its pure Capacities are and very perverted Notions of them see them much otherwise than they are in themselves while it not only beholds them thro' such a thick Atmosphere but as it were in an Animal Mixture and Confusion therewith For according to the Ascendency this has over the Man as it is the exalted Principle of his Life he discerns more obscurely or nothing at all of the great universal Spirit God his comprehensive Providence as to every event especially concerning any of his best his reasonable Creatures nor of a State of Immortality after this present Period is ended he cannot look above the Sphere of Matter what affects his Senses and so denies all spiritual Subsistences a God with his several Administrations and Acts as the perpetuity of particular Beings likewise whose Contexture he concludes will at last be dissolv'd and they return'd into their common Nature a first Matter whence all things happily sprung by chance being the only eternal Subject he can conceive thus the Stoics from such a kind of Philosophy argued even with respect to Souls themselves †Tull. Tusc Q. L. 1.63 M. Ant. L. 6.24 Lips Phys Stoic Lib. 3. Diss 11. They maintain'd these to be capable of Dissolution and that they should be actually dissolv'd in some time the more immers'd in this Animal State or the worst sort to continue less space after Death and even the most Vertuous who had exemplify'd the highest Morals most liv'd up to their Reason most resisted their lower Appetites or Propensions of Flesh not to surmount their fatal Period the Conflagration of the World but then to fall back into the friendly and congenial Elements as one speaks or as another the greatest of that Sect Marcus the Emperor into the seminal Forms or be dispers'd into Atoms whence we may observe their notion of Souls as to their substance that they thought them material or only more refin'd Body And therefore this Person must only be determin'd to present Satisfactions to gratifie Sense in all its Appetites and his main Designs be to compass these without any regard either to the Benefits or Rights of his Brethren unless as he stands in Society with them these comport with his own This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisdom of the Flesh that I am afraid still so governs even the new World of the Messias in defiance of all that he has done which the Apostle immediately stiles Enmity against God where he mentions it that can never be subject to his Laws but ever vehemently resists him and urges a contrary behaviour to him 'T is the Spirit of the World still reigning in it or of the natural Man that receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God nor can know or perceive them because they are spiritually discern'd Rom. 8.7 1 Cor. 2.14 I do not deny but that there may be great fervours of Devotion rapturous Affections even truly plac'd on their Heavenly Father fervent Charity towards their Brethren strong pangs of Remorse for any inordinacies of carnal Appetite which will produce as vehement Purposes or Resolutions against them I do not deny nay I doubt not but all these may be in Persons acted by the sensual or lower Life and as this is a more impetuous Principle much more in them at certain times than in the truly Religious But then these not being of an uniform Tenour but some transient Ardours that quickly cool not bringing forth a constant Duty a Gospel Holiness in its several respects but being often interrupted by some greater Misdemeanours neglects again of these bounden Offices even where they most indispensably relate to God a Heart mainly set as may be well observ'd towards the things of this Earth one may be fully convinc'd that these gleams of Piety are only Mechanical proceeding from a certain temper of Body and not from a rightly dispos'd Spirit a Christian habit or frame of Mind Let us now consider the Fates and Consequences of this depraved Estate And first what restless Turmoils must this sensual Principle that can never be satisfy'd when it governs the Man without any Laws or Restrains upon it and what outward Afflictions what Enmities and Contests with other People whom it will ever be invading in some respect will it expose him to This is evident and obvious to all unbridl'd Lusts sensual Affections or Desires let loose are those that first fight within us cause intestine Wars and Disturbances at home and then render us obnoxious to all the Distresses that can befal us from abroad every one being as ready in this common Circumstance this sunk habit to revenge himself as any else can be to attempt an Injustice or Fraud upon him so that this will found perpetual Mischiefs continually bandied from one another Gen. 16.12 Not to mention the Bodily Diseases the Pains and Maladies as it were in the foreign subject to ones reasonable part ones true self that attend such courses As neither to insist on the impairments of Understanding the blindness and ignorance and wrong Sentiments brought into it by this means when one must walk in the dark not having the satisfaction of a right Notion and rule of Duty a steady Principle to live upon this great advantage if not belonging to a rational Creature all Mankind yet which certainly is the privilege of those who are bless'd with the Oracles of God being lost thro' the delusions of customary sin vices long indulg'd or persever'd in Whence the Judgment is deprav'd the true sense of the turpitude of Sin wholely taken away and that other great Faculty bestow'd on Man his free Determination the liberty of his Will so mightily strengthned by the Grace of the Gospel towards the better part a holy Conversation abolish'd likewise so that such a Person must be altogether manag'd by his Appetites and Passions as those drive him on and he still voluntarily undergo the worst sort of Slavery in the whole World tho' he has experienc'd the Mischiefs of it a thousand times I say not to insist on these real Miseries nor to bring into the account the Pangs of Conscience that are nearer Sufferings not so remote to us as our Bodies in the centre of Perception namely the Reproaches and Upbraidings of his Mind for his Brutish Behaviour so utterly disagreeing to the Dictates or Verdicts of Reason which Upbraidings must needs be the greatest natural Torment besides what may be inflicted in a thinking Nature when it cannot endure its own censure of its Ways or Actions and so as often as it reflects on them must ever accuse and corrode it self I say not to mention these pangs of Conscience that will then certainly even here pursue Men when the Appetites are sometimes surfeited Such contrary Tortures are in the breasts of Sinners and so by that means never intermitting Pains there of one sort or other Nor can such a Person have any comforts flowing from
Insults instead thereof 't will more than support them that they have done their part been Friendly and Bountiful as they were able and not deserv'd such usage from any I say not only these Advantages attend Beneficence where Men are so loosned from Self and the World as to be able to procure them and be Possessors of them but one far greater is still behind our Minds are improv'd and gradually carry'd on by the proper Acts of this great Gospel-Affection of Charity to farther Attainments of the Habit thereof and so still can admit of freer Communications of God's good Spirit or Grace into them which if they can admit be sure they shall enjoy These Advantages questionless in all respects the first Christians experienc'd who so bravely surmounted the intanglements of Property the great Bane of most Vertues among Christians and resign'd it up among all their Brethren equally distributing or bequeathing their Estates as every one had need more to others than they left for their own share if those needed more This Christian Principle moves the Man upon the generous grounds of Value or Esteem of his own Kind and Friendship towards it and as its Instances are repeated continually promotes that happy Temper in him as free from all Suspicions as private Designs As to the behaviour of Heathens towards their Brethren or whose Actions proceed not on the Gospel-doctrines such a Principle in their Soul all their Politics and Morals in this respect are influenc'd from a Jealousie of Humane Nature to fence as well as they can against Insults and Injuries and offer less Hardships to other People on this alone slavish score that they return not greater or retaliate upon them Good Humour and Benignity towards their Creator's and their own Image which acts the Christian is no Motive with them This is the Spirit of the Leviathan and other Materialists as I may so call them of the Epicurean Herd who have writ of Governments and put their Systems of Ethics upon us that have their Foundations in Sense only viz. Reason hindred as to its true prospects and warp'd by it And as to the Duties respecting God the Man thus retriev'd into the freedom of his Reason from its Servitude to Sense and thus capable of the Influences of the Spirit of Grace and thus enliven'd or quickn'd thereby he can easily bafle all the attacks of Atheism carry his Faith and Assurance above the Region of Matter believe an eternal Omnipresent Spirit no ways liable to Bodily Eyes and other Immortal Spirits likewise created by him that can only be the subjects of Reason and Thought one whereof he knows is lodg'd or confin'd within his feeble outside his Tabernacle of Clay and performs all the intelligent Acts there Discerning their reasonableness the relation they bear to the Nature of Man he will readily observe every Rule of the Gospel the strictest Precepts of Righteousness and Vertue and having purify'd his Mind by that means brought down the stubborn Principle of Flesh the Seat of haughty Conceit and Pride and no Interest of his laying cross to the most comfortable Notion of an Almighty Good and Just Being he will not only entertain this great Doctrine without the least diffidence but extremely triumph in it build all his Trust or Affiances upon it and make it the support of his whole Life whatever Circumstances he be concern'd among giving up his Assent to whatever is reveal'd after his Conviction of the Revelation it self tho' he no ways comprehends the internal Reason or Mode thereof as not only that one Spirit existing from nothing or without any Cause pervades the Universe is present in every part thereof to observe and govern all Events but that there are three complete Subsistences distinguish'd every one by personal Acts in the strictest unity of a spiritual Being This he is fully persuaded of being plainly deliver'd in the inspir'd Books notwithstanding that he cannot account for it by any Faculties he has the Carnal Part being well subdu'd as I observ'd before in which Arrogance is founded there is nothing to oppose God but the Mind presently submits to whatever he declares even concerning the unconceivable Mysteries of his Nature as every Creature that must needs be finite in its Powers the highest Seraphin thinking wisely and understanding it self will certainly do Such a Person so acting above the Principle of Sense and he only can be duly Conversant in Spiritual Exercises with a just Intention address God offer up a more fervent Supplication to him entertain himself suitably in Contemplation of him the study of his All-perfect Being or Nature as as he 's more deliver'd from the importunity of the Fleshy Appetites that so obstruct these blissful Instances whence he will enlarge the Faculties of his Soul thro' this right determination this due use of them that they shall be able to discern more of God in their own mere act while they attain their native Aspirings more Yet nevertheless but a small part of this Sacred Knowledge is thus obtain'd in this happy Person being so qualify'd in his own Temper the holy Spirit will diffuse himself freely upon him and still by farther improv'd Beams as this Christian Habit is more advanc'd till his own weak Faculties be as it were absorpt in the Rays of this Comforter and he only see and act thro' Him as far as God can reveal himself to a Virtuous Soul a Saint of His or work by him and produce the Fruits of Holiness in him consistently with the Freedom of a voluntary Creature that must have its Behaviour reckoned to it self This blessed Spirit will then be another vital Form within him wholy over-ruling his own Spirit which being more recover'd into its pure Nature and less subject to the will of the Flesh the Root of Disobedience or Corrupt Desire must be more easily governable by him under his Conduct in all things more securely led thro' his clearer Suggestions to every Instance of a Gospel-Behaviour So that such a Person may say with St. Paul 'T is not he that lives but this blessed Inspirer this Spirit of Christ that lives in him Gal. 2.20 This would be the circumstance of all Men if this gently operating but invincible might where it is duly comply'd withal were not hindred mainly as to most People altogether in some by unmortify'd Carnal Desires For this Heavenly Advocate our Lord obtain'd for us acting conformably to our free Constitution in still small Voices gentle Whispers to our Souls or Breathings upon them such as leave the Compliance entirely at our Pleasure and the Action our own with the Retributions belonging to it his workings can no ways possibly be perceiv'd among reigning Affections Appetites set in their full Strength whether to sensual Delights or Profits nor he attain any of his blessed Effects in those Persons where these are after such a manner as our Saviour tells us most part of People being such that the world cannot receive him
be all with regard to God and Vertue which may be a sign to our selves that we are in this bless'd State as our Saviour speaks concerning a truly Regenerate Person That which is born of the spirit is spirit John 3.6 We shall then be intimately united to God partake of a blessed Communion with him in all the Bounties of his diffusive Nature as we attain to be true Christians or are created again in Christ Jesus after his Image Eph. 4.23 we shall thus be those Sheep of our Saviour that are safe in his Father's hand whom none can be able to pluck away from him John 10.28 29. being kept by the Power of God thro' Faith unto Salvation James 1.5 These are the great Enjoyments and Happiness that a Christian Temper possesses one of an enliven'd Soul a Person quickned by the Spirit of God enjoys even in this Life among all the Perplexities and Troubles of it But when we come into the Heavenly part of this bless'd state these grosly constituted these refractory Bodies to the motions of our Minds being chang'd into Celestial Spiritualiz'd ones compliant in all things and the Pious Habits the Propensions we have gain'd from a Life of Vertue and towards God exerting themselves freely with the Influences of Grace that now informing such dispos'd Subjects are under no restraints what bright displays of Divine Truth shall we perceive in our Minds what farther discoveries of the Mysteries of the Deity shall we be ever replenish'd withal how will the deep contrivances of the wisdom of God and his infinite Love not only in the Creation but more signally in the manner of his Redemption of the lapsed World and his Goverment of it his several Dispensations with regard to the untoward dispositions of his free Creatures whom he bestow'd so much of his own Prerogative upon or made them such Images of himself how will these great Subjects that we so little attain at present the knowledge whereof must most entertain our pure Minds and unite them to God with an inseparable Affection that nothing can remove how will these still more appear and be manifested to us which will ever afford our Minds thus without all Impediments thus in their utmost preparation fresh Scenes unperceiv'd Instances both of Wisdom and Goodness till they can arrive at Omniscience or comprehend Infinity that is throughout endless Ages Being with St. Paul and even in a more purify'd Habit than he then was literally and really in Body and Spirit rapt up into the third Heaven we shall see and discern unutterable Things that our narrow Languages answering our scant Knowledge here can no ways express nor we now apprehend if a charitable Angel should be induc'd to declare them to us the Glories of the Spiritual World and the Divine Actings with respect to the Souls of Men far transcending the wonders of this material one New Faculties shall be then afforded us or which are now hindred thro' the disadvantages of this State open'd in our Minds whence we shall discern naked Spirit the substance of immaterial Natures even the great Omnipresent Creator of all by as evident a sight as we now do Body To see God which is the Promise to the Pure in Heart Matt. 5.8 those that follow Holiness Heb. 12.14 not thro' a Glass darkly that is thro' the gross Instruments of our outward Senses which reason for the most takes its first hints from and works or exercises it self upon tho' they cannot admit or at all acquaint us even with the contexture of Earthly Bodies to see God not by means of these from the Characters we gather of his infinite Perfections in this visible Universe but face to face know even as we are known 1 Cor. 13.12 to see him as he is 1 John 3.2 plainly distinguishes between the knowledge of this and the other World and one would think sets forth another mode of Apprehension of the now unperceivable Objects there answerable to the present Conviction of our Senses and corporeal Sight Indeed we may be satisfy'd of the Being of Spirit as assuredly as we can be of Matter but then this is by long Deductions laborious Demonstration not immediate Intuition or a present glance which seems to explain the foremention'd Phrases the one kind of these ways of Knowledge as affording sufficient Evidence of the greatest Truths if we duly imploy our Faculties about them being proper for our Probation or the Trial of our Honesty and the other for the Reward thereof Now this Apprehension or Knowledge of God after an Intuitive manner as it must be larger and more comprehensive what a rapturous Love of him will it kindle in our Breasts that Passion that founds our utmost Happiness when thus rightly plac'd How will this command all our Appetites towards him and still create new ones as the former are answer'd and have drunk their fill Ecclus 24.21 Eager Desires that can never be satisfy'd are a true cause of our Felicity here by means whereof as our Thirst is more we shall continually more Communicate with him and be always drawing down fresh Supplies from that only inexhaustible Spring which will send forth Rivers of Pleasure for evermore This is the Christian Habit or Principle a Revival from the dead State of Nature when thro' a Course of Gospel-Obedience we have well master'd the Affections of Sense the lower Gratifications that the Soul perceives and enjoys from thence and so partake of larger Communications of Grace or the Divine Nature 't is this that makes us capable of our true Felicity the Kingdom of our Saviour which is within us as he tells us Luke 17.21 both here and hereafter And thus having given an account of the freer Influences of the holy Spirit in the Souls of Men as they have more prepar'd themselves by a Gospel-Virtue I would not be understood concerning Revelation properly speaking as if I meant that he should discover some farther Instances of the Mind of God to us-ward than is declar'd in the New Testament a higher state of Holiness now requir'd as some fondly talk of the Kingdom of the Spirit some more particulars to be believ'd or practis'd not to mention some Doctrines and Explications of certain Places repugnant to the Tenour of the rest of the Scriptures which must proceed from another Author or that he should repeat by some new Teachers and such Gifts in them as he bestow'd on the Apostles even their very Doctrines only perhaps in variety of Expressions which so mainly delight some People especially if deliver'd in a Canting Stile conceited Phrases that more strike the Phansie than inform the Understanding such as our now pretended Prophets commonly use whereas in truth there is no need of all this which if once requisite must be done over again in every Age but there is no need of this the whole Counsel of God for the recovery of the lapsed World to his Grace or Favour and the Methods he us'd to that purpose
after the flesh ye shall die but if thro' the spirit ye do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live Rom. 8.6 13. and again he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6.8 and again in the latter respect only Rom. 7.5 The motions of sin do work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death And indeed I am apt to believe that all the reveal'd Precepts of God are only Warnings of the Events of Things what will fatally follow the kind of our Moral Behaviour or Actions and the bent of our Minds one way or t'other not what is arbitrarily dispens'd upon them and methinks this more answers the wisdom of God when things are so constituted that Mens Fortunes attend the Habitudes they are under and follow their free Actions or the Dispositions they have brought into their Minds by that means This renders God as kind to us as we will be to our selves he thus putting our Happiness in our own hands that thro' the Helps he has afforded us in his beloved Son we may obtain it to what degree we please and this acquits him of Severity which some call Injustice on the account of eternal Punishments for Temporary Faults when these are the Fates of Mens Aversion to him the wicked Temper they have voluntarily acquir'd and made in themselves I do not deny but that there will be both positive Rewards and Punishments but these are still founded and have their Cause in our own Tempers And I cannot think but the contrary Doctrine that the Heavenly Felicites are merely with respect to a tenour of Obedience that may be such an outside business without deriving its effect to the Heart and not on the ground of such an Effect or internal Habit I cannot think but this lessens the Notion of the Divine Wisdom as it takes away the relation of the two States this and that of Heaven to one another not making their Happiness both of a piece the same Temper or Principle with their proper Enjoyments carry'd on to their perfection there and as it puts the Circumstances of the next World Blessedness or Misery only upon an arbitrary Decree of God not so corresponding with the Natures of things or consequential to them Nor seems it a consistent or agreeable Proceeding with a free Creature that he should have any Events attending him but what are as it were necessary upon him the Results of that Temper he has form'd in him But that we may even have the experience of this Doctrine or observe it in others we plainly see that Habits of Life determine the sort and found the most affecting Relish or Sense of all the Enjoyments we have nay that this Relish commonly lasts not to say always after the proper time is over of pursuing those Acts from whence it was as Plutarch tells us concerning the old Olympick Wrestlers who had safely come off from so many hazards that they mainly delighted to be Spectators of those savage Exercises when years had depriv'd them of the Honour as they esteem'd it of being Parties themselves viz. of spilling their own Blood or that of others in them And we may every day sadly remark in worn out Debauchees among our selves how their Vices stick in their decrepid Natures and what polluted Souls they carry about with them and if this be so as to Vitious Courses when People are disabl'd from acting any more the wicked Instance much more will it hold with regard to the Habits of a Holy Life where the capacity of the Vertuous Act not only continues but is ever increas'd with a farther complacency that must likewise attend it Thus we lay the Foundation of our after State whether Happiness or Misery from our own Behaviour Heaven possesses us according to our Improvements of a Gospel Vertue or Hell seizes us while we persist in our Evil Courses these begin here the one and the other how they will increase or enlarge of themselves in a Spiritual World tho' we may pretty well guess at this part and what positive degrees may be added to either of them what Light and Glory or what inflicted Punishment we cannot tell farther than Revelation teaches us but be sure they are both dispens'd being said to be Recompenses and eternal too upon the ground of the use of our Wills or our voluntary Behaviour as that has wrought certain Dispositions in us or to speak the Pythagorean Language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocl p. 314. as by our growth and increase in Holiness the Assimilation That founds to all good Spirits Angels and God we prepare our selves to be Partners with them in the freest Communications of that infinite Being whereon depends all the Happiness of created Natures as well theirs as ours We are thus to be quickned thro' the Efficacy of the Spirit and our earnest Diligence or Strivings with him a Christian Temper a Habit of the highest Gospel-Righteousness is thus to be obtain'd or laid in our Minds And I think no more can be urg'd to engage us to the attainment thereof than that 't will make us as knowing in the best kind and as happy as we can possibly be or our Natures will admit of both here and hereafter unless that will more prevail that the neglect of this or the contrary Habit from a course of Sin will render us miserable to the same degrees which is a matter of equal Truth and a more forcible Argument with most People tho' it express a great Depravity and Disingenuity in them That therefore by all the most prevailing Means and Motives that can be offer'd a reasonable Creature we may arrive at a State of Holiness even according to the Doctrines of our blessed Saviour God of his infinite Mercy grant thro' the Mediation of this blessed Saviour and in the helps of the eternal Spirit to whom three Persons and one undivided Essence or Nature be eternally ascrib'd by us and every Creature in Heaven and Earth all Honour Glory Thanksgiving and Praise Amen Amen THE END