- ---------- Chap. rx::. 4· '1 he finccrc Choice of Heaven as our final Happinc\s, will make us afpirc to the grcatefl height of Holincfs we are capable of in the pt;efent flare, For the End has al- '.va}s a poWcrfLi_l Vu·rue tO transform a Man Into Its Ltkeoe.fs: and Heaven is a ftate of perfec''l'conlormtty to the Holy God. This ditfercncc is obfcrvable between the UnderIbncling and the Will in their Ofl.er-ations 1 .The (/'ndedhnding in forming Conceptions .M llungs, draws the ObjeCl Eo tt !'elf. ~he Wtllt~ drawn by .the ObjeCl it chufes, and "alwa ys fafh10ntng and frammg the Soultnto antnttre conformtty to it. Thus Ca'rna[ ObjeCls, when propounded as the End of a Man, fecretly imprint on him their Likenefs. IllS Thoughts, AfteClions, and whole Convcrfation is Carnal. As the Pjalmif! fpeaks of the \Vor011ppers of Idols, they thM make them are lr!e unto th,, fo is every one that truji. ~:! ~i'~~~~id ;~~a~:;!:ic7s~ ~~~bee aid~l~~~e:'hi;~~~~~~ c~:~g~~~natoe.its {i,~~~he~d~~e~~ chofehasourfuprcmc Good and lafl End, b)l convcrfing with ~im, the Image of his glonous Holtnefs IS denved on the Soul , and tt becomes Godly : the Heart is drawn by l1is am-aClivc Excellencies, and the Life direClcd to him. This being a Point of great importance, I 01all further prove and illufhate it. There is no deltlierating about the degrees of that wluch IS loved for tt felf as our End. More or lefs may refpea the Means that arc valued and ufed to obtain it, but the Love of the End is vafl: and unlimited . A Phyfician endeavours to recover his Patient to found and perfea Health, that being theEnd of his Arr. He that feeks for Honour or Riches, is not content with ;i Me<liocrity of Succefs, but drives on his Affairs to the full period of his Defires. An ardent lover of Learning with a noble jealoufy fl:rivcs to excel others in Knowledg; In !l1ort, no Man defigns and longs for a thing as his Happinefs, but will ufe all diligence to gain the prefent and full poffeffion of it. Therefore it cannot bi: imagined that any Perfon fitlccrely propounds the cn1oyment of Heaven as his End, but Love will make him fervent and induflrious to be as Heavenly as is poflible here. He will flrive by bletred and glorious Gradations, to afcend to the petfeClion of his Aims and Defires, to be holy ar God ts holy mAll manner of Converfation, to be pure as Chrif! is p~tre. We have an admirable ~infl:anceo f_ this in St. Paul, who dedares, Brethren_, I cotmt not mJ [elf to have apprehend. td; but tJus one thing I do, forgetting thofe things whzch ttre bebind, and reaching forth unto thofe things which are before, I prefs toward the Mark, for the Prize of the high Calling of God inChriji :Jejiu, Phil. l· Ij, •4· His Progrefs was great, yet that did not make him !Jack in the profecution of his End. He laboured to attain the Precedent of our Saviour to feel thePower of his Death and Life, to apprehend Chrijl intirely and perfealy as Chrij hd apprehended lum. He w.s very dtligeNt to improve the Divine Image in his Heart and Life. From hence we may difcover the vanity of their Hopes, that are of lukewarm Affec~ tions in Religion, (the abhorr'd charaCler of Laodtcea) who efl:eem it a prudent Principle, as convenient for their carnal eafe and mterefl:, not to be earneft :.n foUowmg Holsnefi. Vices in mediocrity are tolerable with them, only the excefs is condemned. They con- ~ltu:.~~~~;~ltv[.id~i~l~~~;jt:~J'"~~e~:;1~J"~o:~;~t'e tf,~~bg:tto~~ ir~1;~~h~dr~~~~ ou~ the temperate Region between the burning Line and the frozen Pole. They account all that is above their degrees in Religion, to be furious or indifcreet Zeal, and all belo\V to bedead, cold Profanenefs. They cenfure thofe for HrrocrifX or unneceffary Stricrnefs, who arc vifibly better, and .fl:and upon proud Companfons with thofe who are vtfibly worfc: And thus fet off themfelves by ta~mg others. But how eafily do Men decetve and damn themfelves? Can we have too much of Heaven upon the Earth ? Can we be- ,. , come too like God, when a perfeCl conformity tO him is our Duty and Felicity ? Indeed Moral Vcrtuc confifl:s in aMediocrity, not of the habitual Q!al\ty, but of the AffeClions and Aaions between the vicious extremities. Fortitude confifts in the mean between Cowardife and rafh Jloldnefs ; but ho\~- mucJ!.'the more confirm'd the courageous Habit is, fo mud; the more a Man excels in thal· Virtue. Liberality confifl:s between an indifcreet Profufencfs, and fordtd Avance ; Pattence between a foft Dehcacy, and llup1d Infenfibility. Thus Philofophic Virtueglories in its &amy as pure and intire, betw:en two victous Deformtttes. And the Rchgron of many IS Pagamfm drell up ma Chnfltan Fail1ion. But this Mediocrity only belongs to infcriour Venues, that refpcH. things of created limited Goodnefs, and is determined according to the .worth of thetr Natur.e. Biit divine Grace• refpea an Objea fupreamly Good, _and then· perfeClwn confills m their moll excellent dc;grees, and the moll: intenfe Afii£hons and O~crattons that are leading to it. Faith in its Obedience., Hope in its AffUJ:anc:,. Love 111 Its :1;rdour can ne· 'vcr exceed. _»'hen the ObjeCl is Infinite, a mecliocrtty ts v1ctous.. Humtltty ca~er::.:'J
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=