Spirit11al Perfet1ion. ~ow if the Paternal Relation of God be the ground of his moll dear and beneficent A>. fethon to us, lball!t not be the Mauve of our duuful Alftthon to him ? If Jbra F"'"' '!here ts my honottr? We are comma.nded. t~ follow God 114 drar Chtldr~n: The Obliga[ior: IS clearly Nac~ral, from our heav\!nly Ong10al and End. We areexcued by o~r a:::ia[ion. As obedimt Chrldrm, not fa{hionhtf!.. our fe!'!ltJ According to the former Lujh in y 01, ignoranu: bt~t m he who h44 called m n holy, fo be ye holy_ in alt manntr of Conver/Mi~-..:r. And wear: exhorted to beblamelefs an~ kJtrmlefs,. the SMs ofGod without rebuke, m the t~JidjJ ofacrooked 11nd perver[t ge.neration, fbmmg as Lzghts in the world. If we ~re cold and careh:fs in our Duty, how Jullly may we be upbraided with that Q!!dlion of Confufion, Do-'"' thut requtte the Lord, 0 foolifh people and unrvife? Is he not thy fathtr , thar hougbt thu, and. made thtc? Is any t~in~ more contr~ry to natur~l Confcience and fi1pernarural Grace, rhan for thofe who are m utle and relauon the Chtldrcn of God,. to renounce that Relation by a courfe of Life direalyoppofite to it? To be called a Child of God, is a mle of the high. ell honour; and what a vile degeneracy is it, what a {lain and infamy is ir, for {uch to t11ind <arthly thingJ, to fet their Alfeaions on peri!hing Vanities, that do file and d,baft them? 'Tis a titl_e of the moft_ p~rfea L~beny; If tbe Son mal:t yo1s fru,_ you art fra in. dud. What a dtfparagement tS 1t to Bdtevers to be faflentd by the Chalfis and Charms of their Lulls, in a mail ignominiousilavi{b Bondage? 'Tis a ttrle ofConfeaarion; l-Jolint[s to the lord is ingrllven on their Fortheads, the vifible profdfion of Chrilliar::s: Now 1 can they conform themfelves according to the cuftom of this World, which t1n in n•it;Judnefs, unlefs all filial Alfeaioos to God be dead, or very languilbing in rheir llreafls! A fit. --cred Ambition, an aCl:i\•eZeal to adorn the Gofpel, to live becoming the dignity and purity of our Divine Relation, is the great Duty incumbent on us. [ To conclude this part, t here may be fin cere grace in a Pet fon, but through neglea of improving it to degrees of eminence, a Child of Li_ght m.ty 1Va/.~ in Darkne~·, and be depri. ved of the Senfe of God's prefent Love, and the Joyful Hope of future Happinefs : He may fear that in evl!ry AffitClion here, there is Anger without any mixture of favour, and in the approaches to Eternity be in di!lraEl:ing doubts about his future llare, and an anxious ExpeCtation of an uncertain Sentence. ,Tis ou:- Imereft, as well as Duty, to flrive to excel in Holinefs. \ I lbaU now apply this Doarine; 1. By inquiring whether we are proce~d.ing to Perfeaion. 2. Propound Direaions how we lbould follow it. '· I !ball lay down fome Rules whereby we may difcern, whether we are proceeding to Petfeaion. 'Tis requifite to premife, t here may be an eafie mi!lake in the J udgmenr, aboutthe truth and llrength of grace in men> fouls . Indeed, there •re clear and plain Rules in Scripture to judge of our fpiritual llate, but the dark and crooktd He1tts of men mifapply them. Carnal Men are apt to millake Prefi1mption for Faith, and think the bolder they are in prefuming without a Promife, the flronger they are in believing. They millake a fruitlefs farrow for fin, to be Repentance. Thr)' fin and repent, and after Repentance they fin; and walking in a circle ofR.epeotings and Rc!apfmgs, take not one fiep towards Heaven. But real Saints are often complaining of their want of Grace, and condemning themfelves for their not improv_ing the Means of Grace. Their defires are ardent and afccnding to Perfeaion, and they Judge of t heir defeas by that Meafure. He thac fails before the Wind in a River, and fees men walking on the !bore, to his Eye they feem to lland fiiU, becaufe of the fwift motion of the Boar. Thus the Saints judge of their Imperfeaions, by the fwifrnefs of their defires after compleat Holinefs. I lballlay down two general Rules of Trial, concerning growth in Grace; and proceed to particular dif. coveries. 1. The Vanquilbing of-Sin, is a certain iodication of the Power of Grace. During the prefent Life, from its firft rife, to itS la{! fall, the Corruption of Nature in fome degrees remains in the Saints. The Jlefh lufh •gainjl the fpirit, and the JPirit ·~•i•f/ the Jlrjb, that wt cannot dn tht things we wo11ld. Now the firength of Sin is diU:over'd by the readinefs of the heart to a Temptation. Some are entangled at the fir{\ fight of a pleaCant ObjeEl:. The Tempter needs nor raife a battery again{\ them, for the treacherous Parry within opens the Gates of the Senfes to receive his Temptations. Others, though unrenewed by SanClifying Grace, yet there is in them fuch a refill:ance between tlu Law of the Mind, and tht Larv of the Members, fuch a confli~ ~etweeu Convi~io.n and Cor· ruptioo, that they rcfolvc to forfak~ Sin, and by Re~rammg Gra~e ~r7 10 fame fnfian• ces l<ept from doing it: but ordinanly when Temprauon_s are very mvmng, they confenc and commit Sin. Nay the Saints are fometimes. furpn~'d and foil'd by the Tcmprt:r: V avid by a fudden glance was overcome, and fclluuo a Stn of a very foul Nature. Ptt:~ /
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=