Spiritual PerfeElion. to ~t~~s;el~~ ~~fi,'}}/;o~i::r~~:st~~ ~o:fe~ ~~~,~~~}r~~~.~~t 0c;,rs k~~~n ~h~~j~~(to~dc:~; value of a Crown, with the Honours, and Riches annexe to it: in the Age of You~h and Strength, when ~he Carnal Appe~i~es arc vehemently inclin'd to Ph:afures, and there was an opportunity of the freeft frumon: then he rarherchoft: to fuffer lljjii{/ionwu!J th< prop!< of God, th•n to enjoy th< pl<af"m of fn for a {t.jon. 'Tis pradent advice not to chuii:: when rhe Palfions are in a ferment and c:hfordcr: 'tis ltk~ t:atwg Meat in a Fever, that incrtafCs the fCverifh h_eat, and ddlroys the Vi{al. A te:rrible Tcrnpta. tion hinders deliberation, and a free Judgment of what is our Duty to cbufe: a pleafant Temptat ion Corrupts .the Mind, that we do nor difcern the rruc from rhc falfc Good. Yet Mofcs in that ttmc of his Life, when the fcofu~l Paffions are mort inAam·d and urgent, had his Mind fo clear and calm, that he delaberaccly, and with a full choice pn.: fcrr'd Difgrace, Poverty, and Ferfecurion, before the variety of attraai\'e De. Jiglas, that ravifh the Carnal Senfcs. Such was the Soveraigoty of his Fairh that ic Compo;'d the unruly paffions, and kept them in Odedience. ' The Patience of 'Job, is as rare an In!lance, who was cxpos'd to all the Cruelty and Arts of the Tempter ro overcome him. If we confider the nature of his Affiiaioos and their immediate fucceffion like \Vaves of the Sea, that he was fuddenly and unex:~ peB:edly flripp'd of his Eflate, depriv'd of his Children, and his Body was cover'd with loathfome ~nd painful Ulcers, that Satan was Confident his Mifay would fo exafpe· rate Ius Spm<, that he would blafpheme God to hts Face, yet he blefl h1m with the rnofl humble Reverence and relign 'd Submiffion to hi~ Soveraign Will. Add another ConGdcration, when his Wife that fhould have been a Comforter, infulted over hi~r. and became a Tempter, he :epell'd her with a Holy Zeal and Conflancy. The Temp: ter netther by Affaults on Ius Body, nor by Treachery 10 Ius Wtfc, could prevaiL In him Ptftiencc had its perfee-1 work. 'Tis recorded as the moft celebrated Inftaoce in that l<ind: you have hr.rd of the patience of 'job, and {ten J/i< tnd of th< Lord. I lhall only add the example of the three Hebrew Martyrs, who wheo the proud and cruel King commanded them to bow to the Golden Idol, or threatned to caft them into the burn· ing Furnace, with unlhaken Courage expos'd themfelves to' his Fury, to preferve their Integrity. In them perfc{l Love call out Fear. 4 • There is a relative PerfeB:ion of Holinefs according to the feveral Conditions of the Saints in this Life; As in a Garden, there are Trees that produce different Fruits and of different degrees of Goodnefs: the Vine, the Pig-tree, the Apple-tree: if a~ A pp le. tree produce the beft Fruits in its kind, though not equal to the Fruit of the Vine, 'tis perfeB:ly good. Thus m the World there are feveral Conditions of Life among Men: fame are in places of Dignity and Superiority: others of fubjeB:ion and fcrvicc. A Servant that is faithful and diligent, adorm the Go(pt!, and cxc;els in tbac Relation, and is equally accepted of God, as others in a higher order. He that gaia'd two Talents was eflcem'd as faithful, as he that gai n'd five, becaufe the profit refult· ing ·rrom the improvement, was in proportion _to the flock entrufled with him. There is a PerfeB:ion Relative to the varwus Spiritual States of Chr ifiians here. St. 'John addreffes his Counfel to Chriflians under feveral Titles, to Childrrn, to Togng Mrn, and F<:hm, with refpeB: to their different Ages in Chriftianity. A Child, is pcrkB: in the quality of a Child, when he has the flature, the flrength, the under· flanding that is becoming his Age, though he is difiant from that compleat flate to which he wi!l arrive in his mature Age. A young Man has the Perfection proper to his Age. A new Convert that has fueh degrees of Knowledge and Holinefs as are iUirable to the Means and his Time of advancement by them, is efleem'd Compleat in that llate of Grace. Some are enter,d into the School of Heaven, and are in the firfl Leffons of Chriflianity; others have made a higher progrefs ia it, to the {t1lne[s oft!Je Statun. Beyond the PerfeB:ion attainable here, there is an abfolute PerfeB:ion of Holinefs in [he extent of irs parts, and intention of degrees: 'Tis our prefem Duty eo afpire and endeavour after this, but attained only in Heaven, where every Saint is renewed into the pe.rfeCt Image of God , and made p,lori~UJ in holintfs, the grea t end of our Saviour's Love m dying for us. By gradations Chnflians afcend to that Confummate ilate, the pcrio:l of Pcrfe.B:ion. CHAP.
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