Spiritual PerfeElion. Grace to preferve and rell:ore our Purity. Our Saviour tells Peter, He tiJat is wa/bed, nttdtthnot fave torv4bbisfut, but is clean every whit; llndJeareclean, hMt notaiJ. 'Tis an allufion to the Cuftom in the Eaftcrn Countries, where they Travel'd in Sandals, and had their Feet foil'd with the Duft or Sand, that requir'd wafhing upon their coming into a Houfe. In the Renovation of a Sinner, all the Faculties are purified, though not perfel.ily, and 'tis requifite he fhould daily cleanfc himG:If from the reliques of Sin. The Regular Hope of Heaven hasacleanfing Efficacy, from the quality of the Objel.i, the Enjoyment of the Holy God. Now whoever has a profpel.i of a defirab!e Good in future Expel.iation, will endeavour if poffible to have prcfcnt Polfofficn: and confequcntJy, he that hopes to be intirely like to Chrift in Heaven, will llnveto be as hke him., he is capable in this Life. If we did expea a !'aradiCe of Senfual Pleafures, we might without Contradil.iion, by an impure Indulgence, gratificour Carnal Appetites: but the State of future Blelfednefs is ftgnified by the Apoftle, that God jball be all in all. The Communication of God to the blelfed, may in fome degree be conceiv'd by thoCe Titles that are attributed to him, indillin[tly to the Perfor.s: He is llil'd Love and Light. Love fignifics his communicative Goodncfs, the inclination of his Na~ure_ and Win to make his people happy, and his complacency in their Happinefs. He rvtllgtvegrace andglorJ, he wilt rt'joy'e ovtr them 1vitb fint.ing. Now God being an Infinite Good, and of Infinite Go?dnefs, we are lure his Will and Power are correfpondent in making them happy. God is llil'd Light, which implies his mort clear and perfetl: Knowledge, for Light difcovers all rhi nos. His unfpottod Holinefs: for Light, can never be fiain 'd or fulhed by 1hining on a D~nghil. His Sovereign Joy: for Light, joyn,d with Vital Hear, infpires univerfal Nature with joy. In fleavcn God inlightensthe Underllandings of the Saints with the Jmowi<dgeof his Glorious Nature, of his WifeCounfelstlutare now feal'd in his Eternal Mind, and of his admirable \Vorks, wherein the clear impreffions of his Pe1 fe8ions appear. He draws hi ; lmage upon them in all the Crelefiial Colours, that give final Perfection to it. And from hence refults that Joy that IS unfpcakable and glonou<, and 1s eternally exuberant in high and folemn praiCes of God. Blejfed are tbofe who are in thy Ho11[e, they .re al,ays praifing thu. Now can an unholy Soul delight in thefe Emanations of the divine Prefence, and the exercife of the Saints above? Can thole who feed without fear, and revel without rcfiraint of their brmilli Lufts, Tafle how good the Lord is? Suppofe the Soveraignty of God 1hould difpenfe with Obedience to his Law,,and by an A8: of Power an unrencwed Perfon were tranilated to Heaven , can the place make him happy? You may as reafonably imagine that a Swine, whofe infcparablc quality is to love wallowing in the Mire, can delight in a clean Room, adorn'd with beautiful Pil.iures. If the Tongue be depraved with a foul humour, and the DifeaCe is the Taller, the moll: relifhing Food is infipid: till the Palate bccleanfed and recover its true Temper, it cannot judge aright , ' Tis equally impoffible that an unholy Creature can enjoy Communion wiih the Holy God. T ill we are purified in our Minds and Affel.iions, the Divine Profence cannot be Heaven to us. The Truth is, Carnal Men do not love and deli re the Heaven revcal'd in the Gofpel, but fear the Hell threarn'd, becaufe Fire and Brimllone are Terrible to Senfe >. The hope of Heaven purifies us from the Condition of the Promifes that are clear and explicit, in requiring HolmeG in all thatfhall po!fefs it. Bleffed are the P"" in heart, they/ballfee God: follo•vholmefs, without whreh no man ean fee God. The Promife is infallible to thole who are qualified, and the Exclufion is peremptory and univerfal of thofe who are unprepar'd. Thefe are not Conditions prefcrib'd by Minillers of a preciCer llrain, but by the Saviour of the World, who with great Solemnity declares, Veri!J, veri!J, I faJ unto JOts , ten!efs a man bt born again, he ca11not /te th( kingtiomofGod. The Sovereign dif.. pencer of his own Favours may by his unaccountable Will appoint what terms he pleaCes ' in bellowing them, to which 'tis our Duty to Confent with humble Thankfulnefs: bot the Vital Qgalifications requ ir'd in order to our admiffion into the Glory of Heaven, are not a meer arbitrary Conftitution, but founded in the unchangeable Nature of God. If there were any defel.i and irregularity in the ArchitcB:ure of the vilible World, in the Frame and order of its Parts, it were lefs difhonourable than if there were no Connexion between a Holy Life and Blelfednefs: for the fir{! would only reflel.i upon his Wifdom and Power, but the otl1er would afperfe his Holine!S and Jullice, the moll Divine !'erfetlions of the Deity. 3· Chrillian Hope purifies, by the frequent and ferious thoughts of the heavenly Glory. The Oi>Jel.i of Hope fills the Mind and Memory, and gives Order and Vigour to our Endeavours. If Riches or Honour be theOb)el.i of our Expel.iation, the Soul will en· terrain it felf with the pleafanc thoughts of them, and contriving how to obtain them. Lo"e and Hope are fix'd upon the fame Objel.is, and have the fame Efficacy: They tranrpm
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