Spiritual PerfeClion. Eydeestbings without, but is blind as to the feeing it felf. Men fludy to know more of others than of thcmfelves, and therefore know lefs. In curing the Difeafes of the Soul, we are directed by the method of curing the Difea fes of tht: Body ; which IS fomeumes by Med1cmes contrary to their Nature and fomcrimes by tbofe which are like to it. The Feverifh Heat is not only <juench'd by cooling Jul eps, but by Cordials that forti fie the Vita l Heat, which confumes the peccant Humours that foment the Fever. 1. C onfider thofe things which may allay the tumor of Pride and Vanity. Reafon is the perfection of Man, and the knowledge of God and our !elves is the perfection of R ea fon: From hence proceeds the magnifying God, and vilifying our [elves. God is the F.rernal J ehovah, ttnd there is none hefides him. He alone has an independent and infinite Exill ence. All other things are from his Efficiency: Every fpark of Life, and degree of Being is from him. Without the lea(\ (\rain of his Power he made the World, and aseafily upholds ir. All created things have but an appearance and !hew of Being, in him alone is the folidity and flability of Being for ever. He dwells in Li~ht unapproachable, not only to mortal Eyes, but to the immortal Angels. He is the only Wife, and Good, and Immortal Being. In the prefent Hare, gmt and /malt are not words of abfolute but comparative figmfication, with refpea to the vari· ous conditions of Men; as one Pearl is called grea~te peaively to another, though fi nall in it {el f: But there is none abfolutely great but >od, who is truly infinite. ln Heaven, where the bl elfed Spirits have the malt immedi te and fulleJl view of the Deity, the Lord alone ts exalted. 2. Confider that the whole World intell etlual a d fenfible, compar'd to God, are 1but as the drop of the6urket, and the duji of the ballan t : . And what part are we of that drop and duft ? If we confider Men in the flare of primit ive Nature, it is an evident Principle wrirten in their Hearts, with charaaers of the clcarefl Light, That 'tis their moll rca fonable Duty, enrirely to renounce themfelves, and to devote themfelvesto the Glory of God : But if we confider them as Creatures and Sinners, that can affume nothing as the ir own, but thei r Sins and Miferies, the penal confequenrs of them; this will bumble us below the Bru tes, who never tranfgrefs'd the order of their Creation. We are lefs than the leaf! of all God's Mercies, and our Sins deferve the beavielt of lJis Judgments. Confide r the M en that moll excel others, are as naked of Natural Good, as deltitute of Moral and Spiritual Good as mhers. Every good and perfef1 gift comes from the Father of Lights: And as thofc are the be(\ Gifts that come from him in that notion, fo they are moll depending upon him, and are continued by irradiations from him. There is a difference between the imprdlions of Sounds, and the emanations of Ligh t in the Air. Sounds are propagated by fucceffi ve motion from one pare of fpace into another, after the firJl caufe, the founding inllrument is filcnt. But a line of Light extended through the Air, depends intirely and necelfarily upon the original point of Light from whence it proceeds. The Rays of Light that fill the Air, in t he fi rJl in(\ ant that the Sun with· draws from the Horizon, all vanilh. Thus all Spiritual Gifts depend continually upon the influxive p;·efence of God. Now how can we be proud of his moll precious Gifrs, of which we make a forfeiture and cannot polfefs without Humility ? The malt eminent advantages which fome have above others, are the lh ining mar ks of his Bounty. How abfurd is it for one to boall of Wealth, who daily lives upon Alms? The more we receive, the higher arc our Obligations, and the more heavy wi11 be our account. The Mind is darken'd with the thickefl dregs of ignorance that no Light can penetrate, that arrogates the Honour of his free Favours, and bountiful Hand to the Creature. To be more inJlrutlive, let us Confider what are the ufual Incentives of Pride, and we !ball difcover that Ignorance and Vanity are always mixt with them. Women, by Mens Wretched Idolizing them, are vainly proud of their Beauty, and more jea lous left their Faces be deform'd than their Souls. Now what is Flefh and Blood , but a mixture of Earth and Water? What is Beauty, a fuperfici al Appearance, a Flower bla(\ed by a thoufand Accidents? How foon are the Colours and Charms of the Face va niilit? How often does it betray them to thofe Sins, that are fignally punilht " ith the foulelt deformity and rottennefs? The malt beautiful are not lefs Mortal than others: they mull !hortly be the prey of Death, and palture of Worms, and can fucb a fading Toy infpire Pride into them? Some are fwell'd with the Conceit of their R iches: but this is very unreafonable, for no extornal acceffion can add real value to a perfon, Fools only worlhip a Golden Calf. If any air of Pride rifes in a Rich Poffelfor, it may as JUllly provoke God to recallus Bleffings as he liberally be(\owed them. Others
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