. Spiritual PerfeClion. 5'· Toprefer che c:tlimony of _an unreproachingCon{CiencciiJthefighcof God, before ~~oerZ~:t~~dha~r~~~e~~~=~;.Jsro"~ri~~cui~~~tbti~,e:i~e~~":a~r~~~·. r~;';,r~a~~o~:;[. mty attended 1t: For the rehil1 of Pratfe, they wdl do pratfc-worchy thin"s. The goodndS is ~efetlive in the p:incipl7; and when the fpring IS ~own, lhetr He!i~on is at 3~ end. Thet.r \Vorks app~ar '? their true co~ours, eo the cnl1gh~ncd. Confcience; for no man cm dehberacely decctve lumfelf. Now 10 many Inftances it IS evtdenc, thatthe 1 udgment of God an~ of the World arc oppoGte; Tbat .v!Jt<h is htghiJ eflremed among Mm, is abommable m Gods fight ; and ~Phat "pleafing to God, ts dtfpi{ed h1 Men. Now when a pcrfon, with Religious Conftancr, proceeds in the way of hoJincfs, and of his uoiverfal Duty, though he is cxpo(ed eo the imputation of Folly, andconfequently the !corn of the World, and will not negle£1: his Duty to prefi:rve his fame, but fully and finally perfeveres in his Obedience to God, he is a confirm'd Saint : For 'cis evident he loves Goodnc:fs for its own fake~ withoUt mercenary mixtures; and dcfpifes al1 tempora l refpeCh that are inconli fient wi~h ir. . '~' he A poille declares,.. '7 is A {mJt!i thing with me to be j~Jdgea' 1; 1 M 41 ;' 1 j11dgment: H1s ambmous labour was to be accepted of the Lord, whofe favourable tefiimo. ny of his fidelity, would be his eternal honour before the glorious and immenfe Th<arre of Angels and Men at the great Day. He chofe to be among God's treafures, though , defptfed as theolffcourmg of the World. The mward teflimony of ConCcience, which is the fwectdl Friend or forell Enemy, is incomparably more valuable, and to be prefer'd before all the painted air, the vain applaufe of this World. 'Twas ]oh's rcfolution,. when his undifcerningand feve~eFriendstax~ h~m for.Hypocrifie, _ My heArt fo4U nor reproachmt fo _long ttl I Jive. There 1sfuch a convmcm_g c\1Jdence of th1s Rule t~ Judge Men b}', that !~~~;;£;; ;~ife~:;;~ Pt:!Jf~fn~:~!::;!ia~:h~~~~:~J:: ::he;:i;; ;~:e:;~;;~:/J. · IIgo~d Man, to ~fimJi~m. fiii~·te~i~[~~~~s~ ~~7::~~ a~e~~=~~~~h~~~~i~~rfo_r~:n~:~!e~oe;i~~~~~~~t~e~~i~fee~~e~o~~c~ ty, are perform'd many times from cuflom, and falfe re(peCls to the eyes of Men;· aad arc fafhional w ithout the exercife of holy AfleClions, the life of thofe Duties. Our Savi· our tells us, Th_at the light of the Body is the Eye; if thine Eye he evil, thJ whole Body is fnO of darknefs: Without purity of Intention, our Rchgion, tho varnilh'd with a (pecious appearance, 1s vain. But the exerc ife of Religion conceaPd from publick view, is oat lia- ~~:st~ j;;,~~JJ;;;,t~~~:,~f::P~~&: ~~e8fe~~~~; ~~~t~~~~:su:~~t;r:;;fx~;;(fe ~f~~~~!1. Jer. •l. , 7, fcClions in that Duty. The Prophet JeremJ tells the obll inatc Je,s, If7e will not hm, my So11i {ball weep in {ecret plAces for JOIIT pride, 4nd mine E7e foAl! roup {ore, and ru-n dotrm with te4rs, hecAu[t the Lord's jloc.f iJ carried aJVay into ct~ptivitJ. His Sorrow was not counterfeit or fhallow, but Eyes and Heart were entpged; the privacy contributed to the meafure. · 'Tis true, there may be formality in fecrct Duties ; a Prayer may be repeated in the Clofet without reverence and folemnity, without a holy heat of de fires, as if the bodily fer. vice were accepted: But fuch Worfhip, ioftcadof propitiating God, provokcsbisdifplca· fu re. Heaven is Brafs to all cold Petitioners, their Prayers cannot pierce through it. 'Tis obfCrvable, that fecrecy is a counfe!Jor and incentive to a vicious perfon to do evil: He chufes the lilcot and dark night asthc fi11cfl fcafon: When he is fecure no ray of light can dif. cover what is done, he isclfeElually tempted to famfiehis Lulls. On the contrary, a real Saint chufes to ferve God in fecret ; for then he glorifies him as God, the InfpeClor and Judge of the Heart, and the privacy of his Worfhip is to Confcience an evidence of his fincerity, and of an exceUent degree of Grace. Conftancy IS requtfite tn the performance of Religious Duties in fecret. Many when they fee l prefent pain, or fear imminent dangers, will addrcfstheir Requells to God in fecret; but when freed from trouble, they negleEl their Duty. !lut Prayer is a Duty of daily revolution; the Natural Life may be as well preferved without Breathing, as the fpiritual without Prayer. And lince we have always peculiar Wants, and areof[en furpriz.ed with new Neceffiti:s,. which are n_ot fit to be difcover'd to ochcrs, we (hould efteem the Precept to be our Pnvtlcge, ro pr.efent our felves to our Heavenly Father, and to pour .forth our Souls into his Boforn, with an a!furanceof his gracious heaTing our Requefis. Some by the conllraint of Natural Confcience dare not omit fecret Devotion: bu~ they are brought to irasa rroublefomeTask, and are glad when 'tis done. The(e are JO the. fiate of Carnal Nature. But when there i$ a fymparhy between che Heart and rhe Dmr, and the fweerncfs of Paradife is called in Communion with God, '!is an evidence the Dt· vine Nature is prevalent. Thofe happy S~uls are in Heaven already: for in H_e~'iren.rhere is an Evcrlafling tenor of ferving and pratfiog God. In fhorc, Internal Re!tf;~:~ta~~ /
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