fouls, who are already in bliss, shall be more perfect and compleat at the refurrection. And why may it not then be continually increasing, and be augmented still more and more, without any stint or final period of its perfection? In this world we are apt to faint in a long course of goodness, and to be weary of well-doing. But in the other state, when men shall be strongly biassed to goodness, and have nothing to pull them back, it will then be so far from being a trouble, that methinks it should be a mighty pleasure to the blessed, to find that there is no end of their doing good, and becoming better. For if conformity to God be the ground and foundation of all happiness, then our blessedness will advance proportionably, as we grow more and more like to him. This, I confefs, were a dismal confideration, to think that in heaven we should be liable to relapfe, to go backward, or fall from that holy and happy state. But this is a comfortable consideration, that our holiness and happiness shall never be at a stand, that it is secure so far as it goes, and that we cannot lofe what we have once attained, as we may do in this world. This, methinks, should be a trouble to no man, that as good and happy as he is at first, he shall still be better and better, more and more happy without end.

But be that as it will, and as God pleaseth, (for we do but talk in the dark about our future state) this is certain, that an equality with God in any of his perfections, is not to be attained by any creature, and therefore cannot be thought to be the meaning of this precept: But that which our Saviour requires, is a vigorous imitation of this pattern; that we have this example of the divine perfection always before us, and that we be continually endeavouring, as much as in us lies, to bring ourselves to the nearest resemblance of God, that possibly we can. And if this be our fincere care and study, we need not doubt but that it will find acceptance with God, and that he will be graciously pleased to esteem us for his children; and if there need a pardon for it, that God will forgive us wherein we fall short of the the perfection of that pattern, which we can never imitate to perfection.

And happy were it for us, if this were all the ground of our fear and trouble, that when we had done all we could, we must still fall much short of the perfection of God's law, and the duty therein laid upon us. Alas! which of us does near so much as we can, and is not confcious to himself that it is through his own fault and neglect, that he is so unlike his heavenly Father in goodness and mercy, in righteousness and true holiness; and that he still partakes in so great a measure of those, not only unreasonable and brutish, but even devilish passions of malice and hatred, of rage and cruelty, of impatience and implacable revenge; and that these ungodlike qualities do so frequently prevail upon us land have fo, much dominion over us!

We are so far from being what we ought, in these and many other respects, that we are far from what we might be, if we would mind our duty with care and confcience, and make it our fincere endeavour to fubdue ourselves to a conformity to God, and to a perfect holiness in his fear.

Would we but often set God before our eyes, and represent to ourseves those excellent and amiable perfections of the divine nature, which are so comfortable and beneficial to us, and to which we stand so infinitely obliged, his goodness, and mercy, and patience, upon which all our hopes of hapness do depend, and to which we are indebted that we are not miferable past recovery; that goodness and patience, which he continually exerciseth towards us, (for we provoke him every day,) and exerciseth towards us, on purpose to endear those perfections to us, from which we reap so much comfort and advantage; that by the pattern of perfection itself, and the example of him who is so much above us, no ways obliged to us, nor tied by any interest to be concerned for us; and who being happy in himself, neither hopes nor fears any thing from us: I say, by an example that has all these advantages, we might be provoked to be so affected

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towards one another (who have mutual obligations one to another, and mutual expectations of good or evil one from another) as we have always found God to be towards us, and as we desire he should still continue; and miferable creatures are we, whenever he ceaseth to be so: And we have reason to fear he will cease to be so, if this example of his goodness and patience towards us, do not transform us into the image of the divine perfections, and prevail upon us to imitate those excellencies which we have so much reason to approve and admire, and be in love withal.

These confiderations, taken both from ingenuity and interest, should awaken our sloth, and stir up our most resolute and vigorous endeavours after that perfection which our Saviour here requires, and make us ashamed of our lazy complaints, that our duty is set so high, that the endeavours of our whole life cannot reach it; when yet we have hardly made one step towards it, and are so remiss and unconcerned about it, as if we could do it at any time with the greatest ease, and, at an hour's warning before we leave the world, could fulfil this precept of our Lord, of being perfect, as our Father which is in heaven is perfect.

And yet, let me tell you, fo far as any of us are from resembling our heavenly Father in some good degree and measure, so far are we distant from heaven, and the temper of the blessed; so far are we utterly unqualified for the blissful fight and enjoyment of God: for unless we be first like him, we cannot see him as he is: Only the pure in heart Shall fee God; and therefore every man that has this hope in him, should purify himself even as he is pure.

And thus I have, as briefly as I could, dispatched the four things I propounded for the explication of this text; namely, how we are to conceive of the divine perfections, and to give some rules to regulate and govern our opinions concerning the attributes and perfections of God; to explain the extent of this duty, and vindicate the possibility of it.

All that now remains, is to draw some useful inferences from this discourse which I have made; and they shall be these two :

I. That the strongest and surest reasonings in religion, are grounded upon the essential perfections of God.

II. That the truest and most substantial practice of religion confsists in the imitation of God.

I. That the strongest and surest reasonings in religion, are grounded upon the essential perfections of God; fo that even divine revelation itfelt doth suppose these for its foundation, and can fignify nothing to us, unless these be first known and believed. Unless we be first perfuaded of the providence of God, and his particular care of mankind, why should we believe that he would make any revelation of himself to men? Unless it be naturally known to us that: God is true; what foundation is there for the belief of his word? And what signify the laws and promises of God, unless natural light do first assure. us of his fovereign authority and faithfulness? So that the principles of natural religion, are the foundation of that which is revealed; and therefore, in reason, nothing can be admitted to be a revelation from God, which plainly contradicts his essential perfection: and, confequently, if any pretends divine revelation for this doctrine, That God hath from all eternity abfolutely decreed the eternal ruin of the greatest part of mankind, without any respect to the fins and demerits of men, I am as certain that this doctrine cannot be of God, as I am fure that God is good and just: because this grates upon the notion that mankind have of goodness and justice. This is that which no good man would do, and therefore cannot be believed of infinite goodness; and therefore, if if an Apostle or Angel from heaven teach any doctrine which plainly overthrows the goodness and justice of God, let him be accursed. For every man hath greater afsurance that God is good and just, than he can have of any fubtle VOL. VI. fpe

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speculations about predestination and the decrees of

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And for the fame reason, I cannot believe, upon the pretended authority or infallibity of any man or church in the world, that God would not have men understand their publick prayers, and the Jessons of scripture which are read to them. A leffon not to be understood, is nonsense: a lesson is something to be learned; which how it can be without being understood, is hard to comprehend.

And as little can I believe, upon the authority of any person or church whatsoever, that God should reveal his will to men in the holy scriptures, with a design to have it hid, and locked up from the generality of mankind in an unknown tongue. And much less can I believe (which yet is the express doctrine of the council of Trent) that the saving efficacy of the facrament depends upon the intention of the priest. Which is to say, that though people believe, and live never so well, they may be damned by shoals and whole parishes together, at the pleasure of the priest; and for no other reafon, but because he is so wicked as not to intend to fave them. Can any man believe this, that hath any tolerable notion of God's goodness? May we not in this cafe appeal, as Abraham did, to the goodness and justice of God, and expoftulate with greater reason than he did, much after the same manner, Wilt thou destroy the righteous for the wicked ? that be far from thee to do after this manner. damn the righteous for the wicked, and that righteous people should ly at the mercy of a wicked priest, to be damned or faved at his pleasure, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And can there be a greater affront to the goodness and justice of God, than to imagine he should deal with men after this manner? If this be no do right, there is possibility of doing wrong.

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And to give but one instance more; I can never believe, upon the authority of any man, or church whatsoever, that our Saviour, in the celebration