~piritual Perfeelion. 1. They may be di!hoguilh'd by their quality : Unnatural Thoughts againfl our felves, and blafphemous of God, are ufually from the Tempter. 2. When they make ternble 1mpreffions upon our Spirits, they are hi s fi ery Darts. For the native off-fpring of our Heans are conceived with freedom and complacency. · l· They arc our infelicities, but induce no Guilt when refilled by us. A Rape may be commmed on the Mind; and. as the ravifh'd Virgin, that cried our for refcue from Violence, was decl ared by God h1mfelf innocent; fO when the tem_pte~ Soul, with firoog cries, prays for Divine Relief, God will not lay thole terrible in)eaJOn>to our charge. Our Saviour rvtt-J tempted by the unclean Spirit , yet wo holy, harmle{s , and tmdefr/ed; and has a compaffionate tendernefs for thofe who are tempted, and will make them partake of the Fruits of his glorious Victory. 'Tis true, if the injeftlons of Saran are cher ifh'd by the Carnal Mind, they are ours by adoption, though of his begetting. T he Devil put in the Heart of 'Jr~d<U , the de1ign of betraymg Chri fl , but ir was cr.tertain'd by his Covetous Mind, and involv'd him under the heavielt Guilt. The incl inations of Carnal Men are to various Sins, to which they are more inclinable by the Temptations of Satan ; but that does not excu!e them from Guilt. CHAP. V. The Per{eflton of Holmefs Conjidtr'd. The Perfeflton of Innocence The Perfdlton of Grace. The Per{dlton o{Gior;. The Ejfenttal Per{tflton of Grace confijls tn Smcem 1 . ;;1~;;.,. pr~~:d;t;:;:,l',·om:::;J::'.J';L;~!~~,;/;;;!~ra~:;a,~:1'ff::}eaJ::':;;;;t ing to the Condittons of the Saints m thu ft(e. .Ahjolt1te Pcrfdlton on!J attain'd in Hraven . I ~r"~e~~~.:~a~~r~~:i~:~~;r~·or·t.~~~r~~l~~a~~~i-ne~,~~~ ~~~!~: ~~~~~s ~n~h~~: fold Perfection of Grace, and the perfeaion of Glory. 1. The perfeaion of Innocence. God made Mao upright, in the bright Image of his Holinefs. The Excellency of the Efficient Caufe, infers the Excellency of the Ef- :~i~ha~~ t!~sfi;~~o~~~fe~ 7,~s t~0~feh~~~f P~r1?.'t;io~~,d a~~:~li~:J1\~r;~ ~nbt~~~e;h~~ end. There was an exaa Regularity in all his Faculties: The inligh tned Mind direaed rhe Will, the Will commanded the AJfeaions, the Alfeaions rul'd the Senfe<, He had power to fiand, but was free to Fall: with his original perfeaion there was a poffibility of finning and dying. The Eyes of his Mind were clear, difcovering his Duty and · Felicity; and the affifiing Grace of God was like the Sun lhining in the Air to aCtuate his viflve Faculty ; but he wilfully lhut his Eye, and fell from that heighth of Happinefs imo a pit without a bottom. , 2. The perfection of Grace: This in the Language of Scripture fignifies upright· nefs and fincerity, and is attributed to the Saints in feveral refpeas, which I will parti· cularly confider. l- The perfection of Glory. This implies a Union of all Excellencies in a Soveraign Degree. The Church in the prefent State is compared to the Moon, that receives Light from the Sun in half its Globe,. but in the next State will be fill'd with Light as a Ball of Cryfial penetrated by the Sun-Beams. The Church lhaU be Glorious in 1-iolinefs, without {pot or wrinkle, or an; fuch thiNg. Natural Righteoufnefs was of lbort continuance, as Nature ]eft to it felf always is: but the Supernatura l State is not only tmdefil'd, but fades not awa;. The perfection of Paradife was frail, for Man in his belt ftate was changing: from this Root his Ruin fprang: but the perfeaioo of Heaven is immutable, for there God is all i~ aU. His Influxive Prefence is the Produaive and Confervative Caufe of their Holinefs and Blelfednefs. I will now Confider the perfeaion of Grace that is attributed to the Saints in the pre. fent fiate. r. There isan Elfential perfection, that Conflfls in the unchangable nature of things, and is abfolutely rcquifite to the kind. A gradual perfection belongs to individuals, and is various: All Gold is not refin'd to the fame degree and heighth of Purity: but rrue Gold,
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