7" he Harmony of the Vivine Jittributes ~ r: ch ar~ thote of our joy . As NatUre hath prefcribed to all heavy Bodies their going to hap r9· the Cemre, and although none come to it, and many are at a great di ftance from it, yet ~ the ordinati on of Nature is not in vain; becaufe by virtue of it1 every heavy Body is al ways ttnding thither in 1JJOtion or inclination: So alrhough we cannot reach to complear Holinefs in this imperfect fiate, yet 'ris nor in vair: that the Go fpel prefcri bes it, and infu fes into Ccri(\ians rhofe difpofitions whereby they are gradually ca rried to rho full accOmpliiliment of it. Not to arrive to PerfeLtion is tbe weaknefs of the FJefh, nor to afpire after it is the faalr of the Spirit. To excite us, it will be of moment to conGde r the grea t Obli gations that the Gofpellays upon Chri!rians to be ho!y, 1 ]oh11 3· 1. By that Covenant the Holy God is pleafed to take them into the Rela tioQ ot his Children ; and as the Nature of SanCtification, fo the Moti\' eS of it are contained in that Title. For ro near an Alli ance obliges them to a faith ful obfervation ot his Commands, ~~:l~~i~~~~. ~i~e::;~ ~~le rt:~~r1a~~~~. th~h~foe ~~i~r0io~~s ; i~;d,3~~t~h:o~~::~~~~!- ji'"' 1 Job. 3· 9· The allowed praCI: ice of it is inconfi!rent with the quali ty o f a Son of God, 'ris contrary to the Grace of his Divine Birth. Nay, the omi ffion of Good, as ~~:ltl ~~~~~~~~~~i~~~ho~h;~i~r~s~~~~~~~nt~~~ \~~~it(~i:~~;~:t:o~ b~~s(!~~i~~~~ r:~~ n~ Saint are the fame thing in the Writing of the Apojllu . The venerable Ti tle obliges him to a higher pratl:ice of Ve~tu e , than ever the Pagan.; imag ined. He is far behi nd them, if he do not fmpars them; and if he is rurpafled by them, he will be cloathed with !hame. BeGdes, our Redeemer who bath a right to us by fo many Ti tles, by his Divine and Humane Nature, by his ,Life and Death, by his Glory and Sufterings; as be firill:ly command> us to be Holy; fo h~ hath joined Example to his Authority, That we may Jvttl/z ns he wallzed, and be as he)J)a.f in the ltJiorld. Sr. P,utf makes ufe of. this Confideration, to re!rrain the Difciples of Chri(\ from all Sin, and to perfwade them to univerfal Holiners. After he had mentioned-the diforders of the GeJJti!CJ, to deter the Ephe(i,,,. from the like, ~e ~ells them, Eph. 4· oo. B11t ye have not fo learned Chrift., that IS, hiS Rule and Prall:rce m!rrull:ed them otherwrfe. And when he commands the Romaus , Ram. 1'3. 13, 14. To wa/4_ honeflly as in the dny, not in rioting and drHnk....ennefl, 110t i11 chtt1Jibering and wllntonnefr, not inflrife and envying; he oppofes to all thefe Vices the Patern that Chri(\ fet before us, B11t put ye on tbe Lord Jefiu Chrift. The expreffion intimates the Duty, that as the Garment is commenfurate to the Body, fo we are to imitate all the parts of his holy Converfation. Tis no wonder that the Heathens gratified the Inclinations of Lu(\ or Rage, when their Gods were reprefented aCting in fuch a manner as to authorize their Vices: Semina. pene o/j/n ium fcelcrum, a' DiH fitis peccanti11m turba coUegit, as JHiill:t Firmicus jofily reproaches them. There was no Villany how notorious roever, but had fome Deity for its ProteCtor. They found in Heaven a Ju!1ifica tion of all their Crimes, and became (z) D"'""' viciocs by imitation (z). For 'tis very congruous for Men to follow thofe whom they cuftcrts boni efreem to be perfetl:, and to whom they think themf~lves accmmtabJe. If they attribute ;tre;;r,;~~; to their Supreme God1 t~e Judge o~ t~e World, Vrces as Vertues , What Vertnes will DiM.c~ud!u~t11r there be to reward, or VJCeS to pumth m ~en? ~ut ~or thofe that name the Na1Jie of Chrifl ~cl:~~mam. t1 continue in Iniquity! is the m<:>fr pnbecommg thmg m the Wo.rl~. yor they live in the perfeCt contradiCI: ton of thetr Profeffion. An unholy Chn!rran IS a real Apoflate from Chri!r, that retraCI:s by his wlckednefs the Dedication that was made of him in his Baptifm. Although he cloth not abjure our Saviour in words, he denies hitJt in hH Worlzs. A proud Perfon renounces his Humility, the revengeful his Mercy, the luke-warm his Zeal, the unclean his Purity, the covetous his Bounty and Compaflion, the hypocrite his Sincerity. And can there be any thing more indecent and abfurd, than to pretend the relation and refpell: of Difciples to fuch an holy Ma(\er, and yet by Difobedience to . deny him ? When the bloody SpeCtacles of the Gladiators were fir(\ brought to Athms, a Wifeman cried out to the Ma!\ers of the Prizes, That they !hould remove the Statue and Altar o f M ercy Out of the City, there being ruch an incongruity between the Goddefs they pretended to wor01ip, and that cruel Sacrifice of Men for the fport of the Peopl e. It were more fuitab le for rhofe who are not afraid to violate the mofl: Holy Laws, and ro contraditl: the.Patern of Chrift, to leave their Profeffion, and to take foine other more complying with their Lu(\ s. 'Tis not the Titl e of a Chri(\ian that fandifi es thole who pollute and defame lt. 'Tis not wearing the Livery of Chri f\: that ~a n honour rhofe who (bin it by their lilthinefs, but 'tis an aggravat ion of their Guilt. 'Ti s an unconceiv· able indignity ro onr Saviour, and revives rhe old Calumnies of the Heathens, as if tl1e Gofpel were a Sanctuary for Criminals, when thofe that eaU him Lord, Rev. 2. 9· do m;t what he comn~a11ds them. I k..•ow, faith Chri(\, the bl.jphemy of them th•t foy , they are Jews,
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