, • Spiritual Per[ef1ion. 2 . T n comparing the Saints among themfelves, fome are fiil'd perfeCt. There are clilfc:rent degrees among Sinners : fame are fo difpos'd eo Wickednefs, r_hat they ma y b~ denominaced from as many Vi~e~ that polfefs their Souls, as the Evd Spirit in the S•lm h11!Jtt ~=~ii~P~!~etnp~~e~'dtl~i :.of~lhc;0~~,i~~d~~~~~;~~~~ ili:5d~er~~~"~/~~: f~h!ioJ~n~l;e:n°J :;~:;~f!:!l~ furioufly , that cnmpar'd to them, other Sinners feem Innocent, and are far Iefs obnoxi- ~:~~Jf~;fo r, ou?!~u! 0~l~e~ce~r,:c fingular Saints whofe GraceS a:e fo Confpicuous tind Convincing, &!:w M:l'l f: and a uoiverral Holinefs appears in theiL· Converfiuon, as makes them venerable arnqng the vicious: Their prefence will refrrain the diffolute from Exceffes either in Words or AS: ions, as cffeEtually as a Magifirate by the terror of his Power. Other Saints, though fincere, yet there is fuch a mixture of Shades and Lights in their aB:ions, -that they arc in low elleem. Compare meek Mof" with the paffionate Prophet '}on,u, who ju!Hfi ed his anger to the Face of God himfelf, I do well to be A»f.TJ even rmto death. We read of Mofes, that he was the meel-ejl man upon the face of the earth' Of this there is recorded a very Eminent EffeCt and Evidence: When AAron and Mtriam had contumeliouOy and fcditiouOy fpoke againfi him, as if he had Ufurp'd undue Authority, Hath the Lord only (poken bJ Mofes? bath he not a/fo/poken bJ ru? He might by a fharp Numb. , . i . reply have confounded them, but he was filent. Several Circumllances concur to heigh· cen the value of his ViCtory over himfelf. There was a double offence, and violation of the rcfpecrs due to the dignity of his Perfon, aod the nearnefs of the Relation : This Accufation was publick before the Congregation of Ifrael; in the heat of the Conccntion, when there is a great difpofition to be fir'd by Anger, when the (ilcnt and patient bearing the Indignity might be in\erpreted as a ConviClion of his Guilt, yet he calmly endur'd their falfe Charge. How, great is the difparity beiween Mofes " and '}omh? ~· In comparing fome raifed aCts of Grace, with lower in the fame kind, there is p,,m p!~rim.O. a perfetlion atcributed to them. As 'tis in Diamonds, many fmall ones are not of mediocrittr & ~~u;~i;~,10~f C~~1ri~;~ ~f~a:tr:~;~i!to~~~ ofo~qi~:1r:;:~~~:, ~~~~~1~rf~efs~e aa~ ~~;=~-~: ~~~~~?P~n have fuch a Divine degree of worth in it, that it far e<cels many lefs illufirious effe8:s of thofe Graces. As a ongle aCl of Wickedncfs may be fo extremely evil, fo enor· mouOy vicious as to exceed many Crimes in its pollution and guilt of the fame kind. There are fome infiances of this in Scripture: .Ahaz in the time of his difirefs, did yet trtfpafs more againjl the Lord. Judgments in their nature and Gods deogn are fit means to foften the obdurate, as Iron IS made malleable by the Fire: but to kick againfr the pricks, to be more fiubborn by the infliClion of Wrath, that lbould Corre[\ Men into their Duty, is a wickednefs fo unnatural and prodigious, that it has left a brand of Infamy on him for ever: Thu u that /(jnf. .Ahaz, that defperatc Rebel againfi God. The Idolatry of ManaffeJ was aggravated with fuch open Contempt of God, that made it infinitely more provoking than the fccret Idolatry of others. 'Tis related, he {et a carved In"!.'• th4f he had made, in the hottfe of God, of which God had faid to David, and to Solomon hu Son, ~· thu houfe rviU I put mJ name for ever. He depofed God, and wah the boldefi Defiance. fet an Idol in his Throne before his Face. I will produce fome Inrtances of the Exercife of Grace in its Radiancy and Power, both in Doing and Suffering. .Abraham received a Command, Take n01v thJ Son, thJ only Son Ifaac, whom thou Iove{f, .udgo to the lAnd of Moriah, And offer him there for a bttrnt~olfering. How many Circumfiances with refpecr to Nature and Grace, increas'd the difficulty of his Obedience? The Command was fo hard, God would not permit the fulfilling it. Ifa.c was the ObjcCl of hi; mofi ardent defires, in whom he lived more dearly than ia himfelf: When hiS own Life was almolt expir'd, and was Miraculoufly renewed in his Son, the Heir of the Promife, in whofe feed all the natiom of the world were to he ble.lfed .- how grievous to Human AffeCtions, not only to be a SpeClator, but AClor, the Priefi to offer the Sacrifice! Yet he rofe early, and went to the place of which God had told him. He applied himfclf without relenting or delay, that would have argu'd unwtlhngncfs, m fuch a feverc Tryal. He built an Altar, bound lfaac, and laid him on the Altai', and llretcht out his hand to flay him, if he had not been countermanded by a Call from Heaven. In thu Work •vao hu Faith made perfa1; and appears in its exaltatiOn.. ThiS was an AC\ fo pleaong to God, that he declar'd his approving and · acccpung Jt by a Voice from Heaven. His Obedience to the Divine Command ro leave hi s Countrey, and go into a firange Land, was the excellent effe[\ of his Faith in the Promi!e of God, but lefs lllufrrious than the Offering of his Son. The
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