Chap. V. Of DEATH. fanaified Reafon has the Throne, when he feels fuch llrong and fweet Impulfives to Holinefs as engage the Will ; when the Stream of his Defires afcend to the things above, and his Life becomes Holy and Heavenly, he feels and knows tins wonderful Change, though the manner how it was wrought he cannot tell. 1 w1ll !hew more fully thiS fanchfymg Work of the Spirit, that we may the better underiland our State. The Spirit of God is denominated by various Titles, The Spmt of Trutb,theSpirit ofHolineft, theComforttr, John I). 26. and reprcfented by various Types, by An Omtment tlw clarijes the Eye to fie tbmgs aright, by cleanftng refrejbing Water, by purifjing rejinmg fire , Ram. I. 4· correfpondent to his facred Operations in the Soul. As the Spirit of Truth, he illuminates the Underilanding to fee the Reafon and Excellen• cy of fupernatUI'al and heavenly things, of the great Mylleries of Godlinefs, of Eternal Glory ; fo that a Chriltian in his mail deliberate, folemn and cotnpofed Thoughts, in his exaB:ell Valua tion infinitel y prefers them before the gaudy Vanities of this tranfient World, When the Eyes of the Mind are truly enlightned, prefent things appear, m· rather difappear, as Shadows. As the Spirit of Holincfs, he renews the Will and AfreB:ions, infpi res the Soul with Di• vine and unutterable Defircs after the Favour and Grace of God, and communicates Spiritual Power for the profecuting and obtaining thofe Defires. The Holy Spirit raifes fuch a Love to God, that habitua!Jy and ilrongly inclines the Soul to obey his Commands. . This is themail clear and effcntial CharaB:er of a Chriilian, the fpecial and mail excellent Property of a Saint, upon which all other Holy Q!alifications depend. As Reafon is the firll and chiefExcellence of Man, from whence his other PerfeB:ions are derived, that dillinguifh him from the Brutes, and give him a natural and regular Preheminence and Dominion over them, fo that a Man is mail properly defined a Reafonablc Creature : Thus the Love of God is the moll Divine Grace, the true Form of Holinefs, the Root · from whence all other Vertues fpring and flourifh, and mail peculiarly diilinguifh a Saint fi·om unregener:)te Men, however adorn'd and accomplifh'd; fo that a Saint is moil properly defined to be a Lover of God. on:j:~:sdWl~~~~~~~et~~ ~~uc~•~01~[~~~fne;[,n~~nt:~ea~~~? ~1P~~~~;~ !~ ~ffe~~;~;;::~: ance of Religion for carnal fordidrefpe& ; and from civil Vertue, thatreilrains from what is ignominious and difgraceful to our Reputat ion, and makes obnoxious to Penalties of the Laws, and excites to praife-worthy Actions, upon worldly Motives; and from Philofophical Morality, that forb ids Vice as contrary to Reafon, and cornmends Vertue as the chief Ornament and Perfection of humane Nature, without a regard to pleafe and glorify God. And Divine Love isthe Principle of univerfal Holinefs. Love is called the fulfilling of the Lau•, as 'tis a comprehenfive Grace, and as it draws forth all the aB:i1•e Powers of the Soul to do Gods Will in an ex~B: manner. Univerfal Obedience is theExcrcife of Love in various Infiances. As the Spoufe in the Song of Solomon is transform'd in divers Reprefentations; fometimes as a Sijler, fomet imesas a Warrior, fometimes as tbe l(eeper of tt Vineyard, but !he always aB:ed as a Lover, and her chief bufinefs was to plcafe her Beloved. This Allegor ical De!Cript ion of the Church, fignifies that when the Soul is inflamed with the Love of God, that affeB:ion will be aB:ive, and difcover it felfin all it does or fuAcrs in the Service of God. This will make a Ch!ilhan very defirous and diligent to pleafe God in all t hings, and careful not to dtfpleafe !urn many thmg; for that IS the mfeparable EffcB: of Love. The felicity of the natural Temper, and the force of Education, may caufe a loathina offome Evils, and difpofe to fame good Works, but with a referveddelight in other Sins,';,nd a fecretException againllother Duties. Servile Fear isa partial Principle, and caufesanune~ q~al rcfpeB: to the ~ivine Precepts: it r~ftrains fi·om Sins of g1:earer Guilt, .at which Confctencetakesfire: Iturgesto fame Dut1es, the negleB: ofwh1ch caufes dtfquiet; but the Love of God caufes the Hatred ofSin; and therefore ' tisagainil all Sin, not only to prevcnt the Excrcife of it, but to eradicate it out of the Soul. All the fearful confequcnces of Sin do not rcnO.er it fo odious to a gracious Spirit, as its own proper Idea and intrinfick Evil, as 'tis contrary to the hol y Nature and Law of God. Love unites the Soul to God, and turns the Thoughts continually to him: and the lively fenfe of his Majeily and Prefence, who is fo.pure that he cannot behold Iniquity, caufes an avcrfion from all that is difpleafi ng to his DlV!ne.Eyes: And from hence it is that a zealous Lover of God is frequent and I! riB: in reVIewmghisHeartand Ways; and ~pan thed1fcovery of finful failings, renewshisRepenta!"ce, wh1ch IS the exemfe of Gnef and Love, and renews his purpofes of more care and etrcu~fpeGion forthe future. Loveafpires to be like God in all pof!ible degrees of Punry; for It mflamesour Defires after his Favour, as that which is better than .Life, and all the fweeteil enjoyments ofit : and Holinefs is the powerful attral:\ivc of God's delightful Love to us. · L 11 2 Love 433
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