Spiritual Perfe_Cl_io_n_. -~--~- his Son as our Spirirual Head, and the Supernatural Happinefi reveal'd in his \Vord. \Ve are commanded to 1valk cirmm{pe£1lJ and exafliy, not M fools hut a1 rvi{'e. Some"' times rhere is a panicular enumera tion of our Duries : hnafly hruhrm, wlurjoever t!Ji»f_J are hontf/, what{oevtr thinxs art jujl, whar{oevtr things are Jmrt, rvbrjoever things are Jovt! 1 , :vbatfoever things ttre of good rrport, if there be llnJ ver:r1t, any prai{e, think on tht{t thin?.'· From what has been !aid of the Obligation of the Evangelical Rule, 't is evident how dellruaive the poar ine of the Church of Rome is, that many things prcfcribed in rhe Gofpel, are Counfels of PerfeElion, not Univerf•l Laws. A Doctrine fatally fruitful of many pernicious Confequences: of Spiritual Pride. the poifon of the Soul. · They deprefs the Divine Law; while they AfTert a more Excellent HohndS i.n uncommanded Works, and they exceed the rule m matters of Supererogation. It mduces Slotbful· nefs: for they fecurely allow themfelves in the negleEl of their duty, and not only con• tradiEl the Gofpe l in their PraEltces, but fupplant it in their Princtples. And as they relax our obligation to the Precepts of the Law, fo by other DoElrincs they releafi: Men from the fear of the SanE! IOn and Penalty : for the DoElrine of Purgacory takes away the fear of Hell, and the Doctrine of Indulgences the fear of Purgacory. 2 • The Gofpel propounds eo us Examples of PerfeElion to raife us tO the befl heigluh. 1. \Ve are Co':'lmanded to be pu{ea dJ ~~~r htavm/1 Fathtr is P.tr{df. There are fome Anribu tes ot God, that are not the Objea of our Ddires and I miration, but of our higheft Re~erence and Veneration. Such are his Eternity, lrnmenlity, Omnipotence, Immucabday. There are orher Attributes, his Moral Perfeaions, that are im( .. table: Holinefs, Goo-lneG, J ufl ice, Truch; which are purely and fully declar'd in his Law, and vi{ih!y in t he Works of Providence. This Command, as was before exp!ain'd, is to bt.: undedlood, nor of an equaliry. but refcmblance. He is Erfentially, Tranfcen... dently and Unchangeab ly Holy, the Ori,;inal of Holinefs in underflanding Creatures. There is a greater d1fproponion between the Holinefs of God, and the untponed Holinefs of rhe Angels, than berween the Celerity of the motion of the Sun in the Heavens, and the flow motion of the fhadow upon the Dial that is regul;ted by it. It fhould be our utmoll Aim, our rrofl: earndl Endeavour to imirace the Divine Perfe8ion. As Wax. is to the Seal, 10 is the Spirit of Man to his End, the fdme CharaClers are ingra~ ved in it. The Soul is God li ke , when the principal leading Powers, the Underflanding and W\\l, are in~ t.lenc'd by ~i~. . . . The Heathen Demos were dtfhngutfhed by thetr Vtces, Intemperance, Impurity, and Cruel ty, and their Idolaters finn'd boldly under their Patron>ge. The true God commands us, to br hol], as God i& holy; to b, (olloJVm of him as dtar Childrtn : For Love produces defires and endeavours of likenefs. 2 • The Life of Chril1 is a Globe of Precepts, a Model of PerfeElion, fet before us for our imitation. This in fOme ~efpe£t is more proportionable to us; for in him were united the PerfeE!ions of God, wtth the Infirmities of a Man. Hr ,.., hoiJ, harm!tjJ, 1 undt{i!e'd, and (tparate from Smn:rJ.. ~IS Pur!ry was . a.bfo~~te, and every Grace in the mofi Divine dfgree was e.xprefs d 10 h1s Ad10os. H1s L1fe and Death were a compounded Miracle of Obedtence to God, and Love to Men. Whatever his l'ather or· der'd him to undertake, or undergo, he enttrely confcnted to : He ,v,/lmgLJ rook on him the form of a Servant ; 'rwas not put upon him by compulfion In his L1fe, Humility towards Men, infinite defcents below him , Self-Denial, Zeal for the Honour of God, ardent Defi res for the Salvation and Welfare of Men, were as vifiblc as tbe Flame diC: cm•ers Fire. [n his Sufferings, Obedience and Sacrifice were united. The willloam:fs of his Sj)lrit was viCtorious over the repugnance of the Natural Will in the Garden ; Not my ltf!ill, . bu.t thine be dont, was his unahtr~ ble choice. His Patience was infuperable to all InJUries : He was betrayed by a Difctple for a vile Pr ice, and a Murtherer was preferr'd before him: He was fcorn·d as a falfc Prophet, as a f<igned Kin~. and dece it· ful Saviour: He was fp.tt on, fcourg'd, crowil'd wir_h Thorns, and cructfled y and in the heighth of his Suffmngs never exprefs d a fpark of Anger againfl his Enemies, nor the leaf! degree of Impatience, that migh t lefren the value of his Obedience. Now t:onfider, it was one principal Reafon ot hi s Obedience, to inftruEl: and obllge us to con.. form to his Pattern, dle certa in and coollant Rule of our Duty. We may not tecurely fof. low the bell: Saints, who fomerimes through Ignorance and Infirmity, deviate from the narrow way; bur our Saviour is the YV4J, t/;( Trttth, and tbe Ltfe. 'Vhat he fa id afrer his wafbing the Dif~..:iples Feet, (an AEl:ir~n wherein there was futh an ·admirable ffiixwre of Humility and Love, that 'tis not pnffible to conceive which cxcdi'J; for they were both in the highell: P~rfeH:ion) I ha"...e f..ivrn ;·ot' an E.:xamp!t , tl;at what .1 !J:JVt do,e · to J''t, fo do JOII, is appltcablc to all the l<tnJs of Vermes and Graces exlubtted in his Pr,aice. Oooo 2 Ho
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=