T HE great Defixn of God in hii faving Mucies, iJ to transform m into tile Image ofbis unfpottedHoline{s. We are eleB:ed to be .holy ;redeem'd to be holy ; call'd to be holy; and at 141, "" jball be receiv'd mto Hea· vm, and made g lorious in Holi nefs, without fpot or blemdb. ' It 1vas worthy of the defundinJ!. Deity into thU iorver World, to infirult ::;::;;{~a/(/;;;;:;,.P., ; ~~- perfec1 Rults and Example, to be holy as God is holy in all The Emm' of Sor~ls , in combination with the Carmzl Mind, tJfo all their Arts to cool or 1r mdeavo~rs in following Holinefs; and raife a1J army of ohjec1iom to dt{mit.J m, and .flop our pro.f.refs to Perfec1ion. Somttimes the Deceiver infpires " Temptation with fo Jofi a Breath, that_'tU n~t di{urn'd: He {t1ggejl.s the Cotm{tl o(Solomon, Be ~ot Righteous over-much : The tntmllon of the wife Preachtr, U to dtrd1 us in the e.xerci{e of compaffion~te.Charity to,Pards others, an~ not to ten(ure them with Rigor And. Severit .'l for ht~mane . Fratltles; the T empter perrvertslm meaning, to make m remi{s in ReltgiotJ, and JbJof jlrill Holinefs. 111orat Men valtle them{tlvts upon their fair Con ver[atio11 ; thq 11re not jlain'd with foul And v1jible Pollueions, b:Jt are externally {ober tmd rig hteoU4; and they wiU advifo, that Mm fhot~ld not take a fur{eit of Relif!.tOn, but rife with a» Appetite; thAt ~tis Wifdom to ufe fo much of Rdigion 114 may qr~itt the ~Jamor,rs of Conflience, {tcurt Repr#ation; and a/[ord(ome color~r of Lom(ort: f!llt 't~ afptce of FoflJ, to be over·religiotu, andjujlly ex• pofes Per{om to derijion , as v11mly mce and jcrrlpt,/om. They commend the goldrn mt~~fl, and rutder the prett»&t of temptr, it~ke ·rvarmnefs . The objdlio» in fome part •f it u [peciom, and apt to ("'•J the Minds of Men that do not attentiv e!, confi er thinJ!.s. To difcover its falfe Colo11r, and to make a tr"e and faf~ J11dgment of ot1r Duty, it will be t~{tful to con{ttler. 'TU true, thae is If. mediocrity between vicioeu extreetms, wherein the tffence of inferior lv.!oral Ver111es confijls; {or the] are exercijied 11pon Objells of limited Goodnrfs, and muft be rtgr,Jated both in or1r A/Jellions and Aflions, torre/pondently to the def!.rees of their Good.. nefs. Thus Fortitude is in the middle, hetween bafe Fear and rafb Boldnefs; and the more firm and conflan~ tfg. /~abiwatq,~ality of Fo;titude is, the more eminent ttnd praife·worthy it appeArs. But tn fpzrttr~al Gra~u, tlut raife the Soul to God, whofe Perfu1ions are trr1ly infinite, there can be no e.xcefs. The divimft degrees of our Love to God, and fear to offend him, or~r endeavour; in their heighth and excr!lency to obey and plea{e_him, 4..fe our Wifdom ~:nd VutJ . Tlw part of the Objeflion, That ftriel holinefs will expofe 114 to Scorn, u palpably un~ "•(onabl<. Did ever any Artijl biu{htoexul in the Art that ile profefJn? Is a Schol4Y .[ha•ld to <xctl in ufeful Learning ? Ana [ball • Cilrijlian, whofe high and holy Calling obli~<J him to live becoming its dit.nity and puritJ, be a{ham'd of hi; accurate Conver{•tion? Ctm we be too like God in hi& Holinefs, hu peculiar GJorJ? CAn that be matter of Contempt., that Uthe fi~prtme honottr of the inteUigmt Cre1.ture? A S1.int, 1vhen defpi{ed with titles of Ignominy of tile Carnal World, jhould bind thtir Scorns "'a Diadem about his Head, and IVtar tiJem tts btaruif"l Ornaments. The Apoft{es rejoyced, that they were counted worthy to fulfer fhame for the name of Chri!l. What repro<Chts did the Lord of Glory {uff". (or m? Ana what Pride and Foi!J u it, tlw w' /h01•id deftre to be glorified hy hu (uffr rms_ Reproaches , and not wtfltngfJ endure Reproach for hi; Glor1? Our conttnual and ttrdent endravot~rs to rife to Perf~Elion, 'ommend us to our Sovereign and Saviour. A cold-dead Htathen u irfs ojfenftvc and odiom to him than a l"k<warm Cilrijlian. Cccc, It
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