.r96 Of the Happinef of Good Men, Vol. IL Manifeflationof the Sons of God. And Ver. 2t. Our being delivered from the Bon.. dage of Corruption, into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. And Ver. 23. itis call'd our Adoption or Sonfhip ; We our fives groan within our feines, waiting for the Adoption, viz. the Redemption ofour Bodies. This is the firfl Thing, wherein our Likenefs and Refemblance toGod in our FutureStareof Happinefs (hall confitt, The Immortality of our Nature; without which we could not be capable of the bleflèd Vifion of God, and the everlaffing Enjoyment ofhim. II. It Ihall confift in the Purity of our Souls. Now Purity is a Freedom front Sin, which is the great Stain and Defilement of theSoul. Before we can be admitted into Heaven, we muff be quit of all thofe vicious and corrupt Incli- nations, of all thofe inordinate Delires and Paffions, which defile ourSouls, and render us unlike to God. In this World, every good Man does mortifie his earthly and corrupt Affections, and in flame Meafure bring them into Obedience and SuhjeEtion to the Law of God. But ffill there are form Relicks of Sin, fome Spots and Imperfections in the Holinefs of the belt Men. But upon our Entrance into the other World, we (hall quite put off the old Man with the Afeetions and Lofts thereof, we (hall be perfe&ly delivered from this Body ofSin and Death, and to- gether with this mortal Nature part with all the Remainders of Sin and Cor- ruption, which cleave to this mortal State. For 'till our earthly Houfe ofthis Ta- bornacle;be diffolved, we (hail never be wholly cleanfed from the Leprofie of Sin. While we are in thisWorld, we mull becontinuallycleanf :ng ourfelvesfrom all Filthinefs of and Spirit, and perfetling Holinefs in the Fear of God : But we ihall never be wholly cleanfed, we (hall never be perfe&ly holy in this Life ; but in the other State, all Sin and Imperfe&ion (hall be done away, and we {hall be prefented to God, without Spot or Wrinkle, or anyfuch Thing. And perfe& Holinefs is the Image of God, and the very neareft Refemblanceof the Divine Nature, that Creatures are capableof. But how our Souls (hall be purified from thofe Remainders ofSinand Dregs of Corruption, which are in the heft Men, while they are in this World, it is not neceffary that we Ihouid be able perfe&ly to explain. It-ought to be fuffi- tient to us, that he who bath promifed it, is able to do it one way or other; only I am confident, and have great Reafon to be fo, that this Purification will not be wrought by the Fire ofPurgatory. For if there be any fuchThing, as there is not the leaft Spark of Divine,Revelation for it ; (and how any Body fhould come to know it otherwife, is not eafie to imagine) it is granted to bea material Fire; and if it be fo, it is noways fitted, either for the Punifhment or Purgation of impure Souls. Indeed, ifMen carried their Bodies into Purgatory, the. Fire of it might be a cruel Torment and Vexation to them : But how a Fire Mould fcorch a Spirit, is I believe beyond the Subtilty of a Schoolman tomake out; much lefs is it fitted to purge and take away Sin. And if the Truthwere known, it was never ferioufly intended for this Purpofe, to do any Good to the Dead, but to drain the Purfes of the Living, by deluding them with a vain Tope of getting their Friends delivered out of that Imaginary Torment. But we who take our Faith from theWord of God,and not from the Fi&ions of Men, do believe that the Souls of good Men do immediatelypats out of this World into a State of Happinefs, and that he who beftows this Happinefs upon them, does qualifie them for it, before he admit them into it. And if we con- fider the Matter well, we {hall find that a Man who bath truly repented of his Sins, and through the Mercyof God in Jefus Chrift hath obtained of God the Pardon and Forgivenefs of them, and is firmly refolved againft Sin, and doth truly endeavour to mortifie his Lufts, and to lead a Holy Life, and by theGrace of God does deny Vngodlinef and Worldly Lofts, and livesfoberÿ and righteoufly, andgodly in this prefent World ; I fay, we {hall find that fuch a Man is not far from the Kingdom of God, but very nearly qualified and difpofed for it, and that there hardly wants any Thing to make fuch a Man perfe&ly good, but only to remove out of his Way thofe Obttacles and Impediments to Virtue, and to free , him from thole Circumftances of Infirmity and Temptation, which do unavoi- dably encompafs us in this World ; fuch as are Ignorance, and. the Inftiga- tions
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