Spiritual Pe'rfeClion. · 63 9 ~----------~~----~~--------------~- tonA:am equal Temper, that when provok'd by Injuries, his Countenance was mere , placid and (_Crene, his Voicc more temper~te, his Words more kind and . o~liging. P !~tot fi1rpriz.e_d wtth Paffion for agreat ;rault of Ius Servant, ~oak a St~ff t_o beat lum, a'!d havmg Ji ft up Ins Hand for a fir_okc,ficpp~ fuddenly; and aFnend ~om1n~ m,and wondrtn~ to fel! !~x~~:;~~;;,;:;, him tn that pofi:ure.' fatd, 1 chajli{e a11 angry Man; reflc8mg w~th fhame upon h1mfelf: d~ . . oh!:rus Thus he di{arm'd Ius Pa!fton. When. Alexander had conquer' cl Darzus and taken hjs ~ee n, {.r~.n '1111 .. •li~ a woman of exquifirc Beauty, he would not have her brought into his prefcnce, that !~ is .;;fir;.~:~~~~ Vcrtue might not be violated by the fight of her. Scipio having tal\cn a Town in Spam, n~ r,.! . Sen. dt and among them a Noble Virgin very beautiful, refign'd her untouch'd, with her Ran- ,,..,, M. l· fOm of great value, to the Prince to whom (he was contraCted. If it. be f.:~ id, that Vanity a!lilled Venue in tbefe Perfons, and one Carnal Paffion vanq u•lh'd a.1other, the Defire of Praife, the Pride of Life, the Lull of the Flefh: But fi1all not Di vine Grace be more powerful than Humane Motives? The impotence of C arnal Chrifiians is not from the defeB: of affifling Grace, bu t their culpable negleB: of u{ing ir. But for the imire ConviClion of Carnalifis that are under the tyranny of the voluptuous Ap, petites , and pretend they cannot refill: the awaaivenefs, and unbind the charms tha,t fafl:en them to the ObjeCls of their impure De fires; let it be canfidered, that a little contempt, or coldnefs of the Perfon b~ whom they arc charmed, a favourablo alpeB: upon a compet itor, will turn rhe1r Love mto D1fdam, and break all .foc1ety betweem them. And lball one Carnal Paffion vanquiih another, and the Terrors of the Lord, the Tor·; ments of an Everlalling Hell , be ineffeB:ual to rellrain them? The remembrance of this will cover them with Eternal Confufion in the next World. The Traveller corn·. plain'd of the roughnefs. of the way, when a Thor~ in hi_s Faa, made it uneafic. Carnal Men complain, 'tis a fad task to obey the Gofpel, but their Lulls make it fo. 3· 'Tis alledged, that the flriving aft<r a pufe&l Holimfs is rmnecrjfarJ; b7the Cove• »ant ofGrace · a Man mAy befaved IPtthor#t it. . . Before I difcaver the falfenefs of this pretence, I ihall obferve, that Carnal Men, t hat they may live ea{ily, endeavour to ~ake their Principles correfpo~dent wirh r he~r PraCl:ices, they bend the Rule to thetr depraved Appeuu:s, and wtll not order r he1~ Life by the holy Rule. The curfed and crafty Serpent will ailifl •hem in drawing falfe Conclufions from true Premilfes, and in oppofing the Grace at the Gofpel to HS Precepts. When the Carnal Affeaions corrupt the Judgement, the Mind will <;ive liceofe to the AffeB:ions: the cafe offuch is dangerous, if not defperare. fbus the loofe Optnion, That Mm ma1 be {aved 1Vitho11t abfolute Per{eflion, therefore jlriving after it is unnueffa,y, makes Men remifS in Religion, and produces vain de lufive hopes, that end io fearful difappointments. To undcccive Men, the following Confiderations may be cffeCl:ual. 1. 'Tis true, we mull: diftinguiih between the !'receptive Moral part of the Covenant of Works and of Grace, and the FrederaL They agree in theformer, and differ in the latter. The Gofpel in joins perfea Obedience as well as the Law; but the lirll makes it the Condition of the Covenant, whereas the fecond makes provifion for our Imper· feB:ions. According to the tenor of the lirll, the tranfgreffing of one Command was a violation of the Covenant, and Death was the unavoidable confequencc of Sin: fo1· entire Obedience was the Condition of it. Adam finn'd once, and mufi dye for ever 1 But to fin againll the command of the Golpel and the Covenant, is not the fame: The Mediator interpofes between the Righteous Judge and the Sinner; and Faith in him, notwithfl:anding the killi ng Law, and the accufing Confcieoce, fecures us from re. venging Jullice. Only final Impenitence and Unbelief, cut off from the benefit of the Gofpel. 2. Tho' the Gofpel allays the feverity and rigor of the Law, and pardons our dcfeas, yet it as {ltialy requires our fincere earneft endeavours after Perfe£tion, as the Law requir'd exa8: Obedience. We are commanded to /!.row in Grace, 'cis dire8: matter of D,uty, we are obliged to behotr, as God is hof], in all mannerofConve,rfatio": the Rult;: is inflexib!e, and none can by difpenfation or privilege be exempted from k rious and ~onfl:ant endeavours to be intirely like God. Thofe who are pleas'd with the pretence, that perfe£1: Holinefs is unattainable here, and indulge their imperfeEtions, are in the ftare ofunrenewed Nature. They are fure they lhall be bad always, and therefore will not labour to be better. But the Confideration that we cannot attain to the higheft pitch of Holinefs, is a [pur and incitation to the Saints to greater diiJgencc, as appears by the example of St. Paul before cited. 0 0 0 0
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