Serm. CXXXII. in the future State. 1 97 tions of our bodily Temper to irregular Appetites and Pallions, that which the Apoflle calls, the Law in our Members warring againfl the Law of our Minds; the Neceffities of this Life, the Temptations of the Devil and of bad Company, and the like, all which do appertain to this State, and which we fhall be quit of, fo foon as we leave thisWorld, and put offthefe frail and mortal Bodies ; and when thefe are removed, we are free from the Bondage of Sin, and have nothing to hinder and divert that ftrongBent and Inclination ofMind, which is in every good Man to do the Will of God. So that our very Tranflation into another State does of it felf affert us into this glorious Liberty of the Sons of God. And if betides this any Thing more be neceffary to cleanfe us from Sin, and perfe& the Holinefs and Purity of our Souls, we need not be folicitous about the Way and Manner of it, but may reft confident, that He who bath begun a good Work in us, will perfea it in the Day of Chrifi 5 and that what is wanting in our Love to God, or Charity to Men, in Goodnefs, and Meeknefs, and Purity, or any Grace or Virtue whatfoever, fhall then be added to them, that fo an Entrance maybe mini- fired to us abundantly into the everlafling Kingdomof our Lord andSaviour yefus Chrj1. This we know, that when he ¡hall appear, we fhall be like him ; like him in the Immor- tality ofour Nature, and in the Purity ofour Souls, which are the very Image of God, and the moti exprefs Charat er of the Divine Nature. The Fourth and /aft Thing remains, which is to thew the neceffary Connexion which is between our Likenefs and Conformity to God, and our Sight and Enjoy- ment of him : We know that Ire ¡ball be like him; for we fhall fie him as he is. Which implies, that unlefs we be like God, we are in noCapacity of the blejdSight end Enjoyment ofhim. I. Likenefs to God in the Immortality of our Nature, is neceffary tomake us capable of the Happinefs of the next Life; which confifls in the bleffed and per- petual Vifion and Enjoyment ofGod. If oily Naturewere mortal, we were inca- pableof feeing God. What was faid of Mofis, is equally true of all Mankind, in this State of Mortality. We cannot fee the Face of God and alive. Nothing that is frail and dying can endure the Splendor of fo great a Glory; nothing that Rands in need ofcontinual Reparation, as Flefb and Nlood_does, can inherit the Kingdomof God ; nothing but a ftx'd and immutable Nature, which can never decay, is capable of everlafting Happinefs. But this Part of Likenefs and Conformity to God, tho' it be neceffary to make us capable of the Felicity of another World, yet it is no Part of our Duty and Care: If we endeavour after the other, which confins in Holinefs and Purity, God will work this in us, and for us, without any Concurrence of ours. All that he requires of us, is, that we firmly believe it, and patiently exile& it, and fervently pray for it, and afpire after it. And indeedour Likenefs tb God in this Refile&, depends upon our Conformity to him in Purity and Holinefs. For as by Sin Death entred into the World, andfo Deathpaled upon all Men: So nothing but Holinels can reflore us to Immortality. The Foundation of all our Hopes of a bleffed Immortality, is to be laid in the Price ofour Redemption, as the Meritorious Caule cf it; and in our being renewed after the Image ofGod, in,Righteouinefs and true Holinefs, as the proper Qualification and Capacity for it on our Parts. We mutt have our Fruit unto Holinefs, if we look that the Esc' ,fhould be everlafling Life. And to this Purpofe it is excellently faid in the mfdom of Sölwast, The keeping of God's Commandments is, theAffurance of Im- mortality, and Immortality makes us like to God. And therefore I (hall mainly ap- ply my felf to the. II? Thing, namely, To Phew that our Likenefs to God in the Purity of our Souls is neceiary, to make us capable of the bleffed Sight and Enjoyment of him in the next Life. It is neceffary as a Condition of the Thing; and it is neceffary as a Qualification in. the Perfon.. r. It is neceffary as a Condition of the Thing to be performed on our Part, before we can expo& thatGoçl,fhould make good the,Promife of eternal Life and Happinefs to us. The exprefs Conftitution and Appointment of God hath made it ;neceffary, who bath -told us, Without:Holinej no Man{hall fee him ; that ifme foso
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