580 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, sign of ajustified, regenerate soul. But this whole bath many parts, and it is abundance of particulars materially in which this sin- cerity is 'to be found. Even all the sixty characters which I have here named, are animated by that one, and contained in it. And I think to the most the full description of a Christian in his essen- tial and integral parts (yet showing which are indeed 'essential) is the best way to acquaint them with the nature of Christianity, and to help them in the trial of themselves. And as it were an abuse of human nature, for a painter to draw the picture of a man without arms, or legs, or nose, or eyes, because he may be a man without them ; so would it have been in me to draw only a maimed picture ofa Christian, because a maimed Christian is a Christian. Yet, because there are so many maimed Christians in the world, I have also showed you their lamentable defects ; not in a manner which tendeth toencourage them in their sins and wants, under pretense of comforting them, but in that manner which may best excite them to their duty, in order to their recovery, without destroying their necessary supporting comforts. O happy church, and state, and family, which are composed of such confirmed Christians ! where the predominant temperature is such as I have here described! Yea, happy is the place where magistrates and ministers are such ; who are the vital parts of state andchurch, and the instruments appointed to communicate these perfections to the rest. But how much more happy is the New Jerusalem, thecity of the living God, where the perfected spirits of the just, in perfect life, and light, and love, are perfectly beholding, and admiring, and praising, and pleasing the eternal God, their Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier' forever ! .where the least and meanest is greater and more perfect than the confirmedChristian here described ; andwhere hypocrisy is utterly excluded, and im- perfection ceaseth, with scandal, censures, uncharitableness, divis- ions, and all its other sad effects; and where the souls that thirst- ed after righteousness shall be fully satisfied, and love God more than they can now desire, and never grieve themselves or others with their wants, or weaknesses, or misdoings, any more. And, O blessed day, when our blessed Head shall be revealed from heaven. with his mighty angels, and shall come to be glorified in his saints, and 'admired in all them that now believe; whose weakness here occasioned his dishonor and their own contempt! When the seed of grace is grown up into glory, and all the world, whether they will or not, shall discern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not; be- tween the clean and the 'unclean; and between him that sweareth and him that feareth an oath. And though now "our life is hid
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