HE accufation that Celfus and Julian the grand adverfaries of Tthe Christian religion, had the impudent confidence to faften Cxx upon it; namely, That it indulgeth men in, and encourageth them to, the practice of immorality and wickedness, is fo notoriously falfe and groundlefs; that there is nothing truer, or more perfpicuously held forth in the books that contain Chriftianity, than that the perfectly contrary is the great defign of it. But yet notwithstanding, thofe that shall heedfully obferve the lives and actions of an infinite number of fuch as call Chrift their mafter, would be very threwdly tempted undoubtedly to conclude, that they fecretly think, what thofe Heathens had the face to publish.

And as for (I fear 1 may fay) even moft of those profeffors of faith in Chrift, which have efcaped the fcandalous and more grofs pollutions of the world; that man that fhall take an exact furvey of their converfations also, and confider what matters they most bufie themfelves about, what the designs are which they chiefly prosecute, and that not only as men, but as Chriftians too; what things they are that exercise moft of their zeal, and for and againft which is fpent the greatest part of their religious heat; will be ftrongly enclined to fufpect, that, though they have not entertained so highly dishonourable an opinion of their Saviour, as to esteem him a patron of vice, yet they think fo undervaluingly of him, as to judge him fo mean a friend to holiness, as that the promoting it in mens hearts and lives, if it was at all a defign of his

U 4

his coming into the world, and of the religion he left behind him, yet it was at best but a bye-one, and that fome other matters were much more in his eye, and principally intended by him.

Though I will not fay that the greater part of our most forward profeffors have their heads leavened with fuch thoughts, yet any one may dare to affirm that they behave themselves exactly as if they had: and moreover I am abfolutely certain, that it is utterly impoffible, men fhould make fuch a bustle, and stir about matters of none, or but small importance, to the ferving or prejudicing the real intereft of their fouls; and, on the other hand, be as lukewarm, unconcern'd and careless in diverfe things that have the most immediate and direct tendency to their eternal welfare; if they duly confidered and had a quick fence of what was now intimated, viz. That the business that brought the blessed Jefus by the appointment of God the Father down from heaven; and the end of his making us the objects of fuch rich and tranfcendent kindness, was the deftroying of fin in us, the renewing of our depraved natures, the ennobling onr fouls with virtuous qualities and divine difpofitions and tempers, and (in one word) the making us partakers of his bolinefs. And fo long as there are but few that either believe or confider, that this is the end of Christianity, and that alone which it directly drives at, it cannot be matter of wonder, if multitudes of those which lay a great claim to it, fhould be (as excellent a religion as it is) little the better, nay, and in some respects even the worfe for it.

And on the contrary, it is not to be in the leaft doubted, That nothing can be fo available to the introducing of a better state of things, the abating and perfectly quenching our intemperate heats, the regulating and bringing into due order our wild exorbitances, the governing and restraining our extravagant and heady zeal, the induing us with becoming tempers, fober thoughts, and good fpirits, as would the thorow-belief, the due minding and digefting of this one principle.

And for this reafon, I am not able to imagine how time may be fpent to better purpose, than in endeavouring to poffefs mens minds with it and to contribute thereunto, what it can, is the business of this Treatife whereof thefe following are the general heads: which fhall be infifted on with all poffible perfpicuity, and convenient brevity, viz.

First, A plain Demonftration, that, True Holiness is the Special Defign of Chriflianity.

Secondly, An Account, how it comes to pass that our Saviour bath laid fuch Stress upon this, as to prefer it before all other.

Thirdly, An Improvement of the whole Difcourfe, in diverfe (and most of them Practical) Inferences.

SECT. I.

A Demonftration, that True Holiness is the Defign of Chriflianity.

CHA P. 1.

The Nature of True Holinefs defcribed.

N order to the demonftration hereof, it is neceffary to be pres Imifed, That the holiness which is the defign of the religion of

Christ Jefus, and is by various forms of speech exprefs'd in the Gofpel (as by godliness, righteousness, conversion and turning from sin, partaking of a divine nature, with many other) is such as is fo in the most proper and highest fence: not such as is fubjected in any thing without us, or is made ours by a mere external application, or is only partial: but is originally feated in the foul and fpirit, is a complication and combination of all virtues, and hath an influence upon the whole man (as fhall hereafter be made to appear) and may be described after this

manner.

It is fo found and healthful a complexion of foul, as maintains in life and vigour whatsoever is effential to it, and juffers not any thing unnatural to mix with that which is fo; by the force and power whereof a man is enabled to behave himself as becometh a creature indued with a principle of reason; keeps his fupreme faculty in its throne, brings into due fubjection all his inferiour ones, his fenfual imagination, his brutish paffions and affections.

It is the purity of the humane nature, engaging thofe in whom it refides, to demean themselves fuitably to that state in which God hath placed them, and not to act difbecomingly in any condition, circumftance, or relation.

It is a divine or god like nature, caufing an hearty approbation of, and an affectionate compliance with the eternal laws of righteousness; and a behaviour agreeable to the effential and immutable differences of good and evil.

But to be fomewhat more exprefs and diftinct, though very brief. This holiness is fo excellent a principle, or habit of foul, as caufeth those that are poffeffed of it (I mean fo far forth as it is vigorous and predominant in them,)

First, To perform all good and virtuous actions, whenfoever there is occafion and opportunity; and ever carefully to abstain from those that are of a contrary nature.

Secondly, To do the one, and avoid the other, from truly generous motives and principles.

Now, in order to the right understanding of this, it is to be observ'd, That actions may become duties or fins thefe two ways.

First, As they are compliances with, or tranfgreffions of divine pofi tive precepts. These are fuch declarations of the will of God, as re

ftrain our liberty for great and wife reafons, in things that are of an indifferent nature, and abfolutely confidered, neither good, nor evil: and fo makes things not good in themselves (and capable of becoming fo, only by reafon of certain circumftances) duties; and things not evil in themselves, fins. Such were all the injunctions and prohibitions of the ceremonial law; and fome few fuch we have under the Gofpel.

Secondly, Actions are made duties or fins, as they are agreeable or oppofite to the divine moral laws: that is, Those which are of an indifpenfable and eternal obligation, which were firft written in mens hearts, and originally dictates of humane nature, or neceffary conclufions and deductions from them.

By the way, I take it for granted (and I cannot imagine how any confiderative, fuppofing he be not a very debauch'd, person can in the leaft doubt it,) that there are first principles in morals, as well as in the mathematicks, metaphyficks, &c. I mean fuch as are felf-evident, and therefore not capable of being properly demonftrated; as being no lefs knowable and easily affented to, than any propofition that may be brought for the proof of them.

Now the holiness we are defcribing is fuch, as engageth to the performance of the former fort of duties, and forbearance of the former fort of fins, for this reason primarily, because it pleaseth Almighty God to command the one, and forbid the other: which reafon is founded upon this certain principle; That it is most highly becoming all reasonable creatures to obey God in every thing; and as much difbecoming them, in any thing. to difobey him. And fecondarily, upon the account of the reafons (if they are known) for which God made thofe laws. And the reasons of the pofitive laws contained in the Gospel are declared, of which I know not above three that are purely so, viz. That of going to God by Christ, and the institutions of baptifm and the Lord's Supper.

Again, This holiness is such as engageth to the performance of the duties, and forbearance of the fins of the fecond kind; not merely because it is the divine pleasure to publish commands of thofe, and prohibitions of thefe; but also, and especially, for the reafons, which moved God to make those publications: namely, becaufe thofe are good in themselves, and infinitely becoming creatures indued with understanding and liberty of will; and these are no less evil in their own nature, and unworthy of them.

That man that would forbear, gratefully to acknowledge his obligations to God, or to do to his neighbour as he would that he should do to him, &c. on the one hand; and would not stick at difhonouring his maker, or abufing his fellow creatures in any kind, &c. on the other; if there were no written law of God for the former, and against the latter; doth not thofe duties, nor forbears thefe fins, by virtue of an holy nature that informs and acts him; but is induced thereunto by a mere animal principle, and because it is his intereft fo to do. And the reafon is clear, because.no one that doth thus, only in regard of the written precepts and prohibitions of the divine Majefty, doth fo out of respect to them, as fuch, but as they have promises, but especially threatnings annexed to them: for to be fure, he that performs the one, and forbears the other from any lovely notion he hath of obedience, and any

hateful

hateful one he hath conceived of disobedience, will also make confcience of those and the like duties, in regard of the goodnefs, becomingnefs, and excellency he difcerns in them; and will abstain from thefe and the like fins, because of the intrinfick evil, turpitude, and deformity he apprehends in them: for those are no whit lefs manifeftly lovely, and worthy of mankind, than is obedience to the divine will, confidered in an abstracted notion; nor thefe lefs apparently vile, and abominable than is difobedience. For, that very reason, that makes it an intolerable thing to disobey a law of God, (viz. because it is highly unjust so to do) makes it fo alfo to commit the forementioned, and fuch like fins; and fo on the contrary; now this propofition, That it is a bafe thing to do unjustly, is one of those which I call firft principles; than which there is nothing mankind doth more naturally affent to: and those fins, with many other, are alike plain inftances and expreffions of that fhameful vice injustice, though not of an equal degree of it.

The fum of what we have said in this account of the nature of true baliness is this, viz. That it is fuch a difpofition and temper of the inward man, as powerfully enclines it carefully to regard and attend to, affectionately to embrace and adhere to, to be actuated by, and under the government of all thofe good practical principles that are made known either by revelation, nature, or the ufe of reason.

Now though nothing is more natural to the fouls of men, confidered in their pure effentials, and as they came out of their Creator's hands, than this most excellent temper; yet by their apoftafie from God, and finking into brutish fenfuality, did they fadly difpoffefs themselves of it, and so became like the beafts which perith. But it pleafed the infinite goodness of the divine Majefty not to give us over fo; for when we had destroyed our felves, in him was our help found. He greatly concerned himself for the recovery of fallen mankind by various means and methods, and when the world was at the very worst, did he make use of the most fovereign and effectual remedy. He, who at fundry times, and in diverfe manners, fpake in time paft unto the fathers by the Prophets, did in thefe last days fend his dearly beloved and only begotten Son to us. And to prove that the great errand he came upon was the effecting of our de liverance out of that finful state we had brought our felves into, and the putting us again into poffeffion of that holiness which we had loft, is now our next business.

CHA P. II.

A general Demonftration that the Holinefs defcribed is the Defign of Chriftianity, by a Climax of feven Particulars.

ON the firft place, in order to the proof of this, it is worthy our obfervation, that St. John the Baptift being fent to prepare the way before our Saviour, did fo, by teaching the doctrine

of