t 98 Of the Happinefs of Good Men, Vol IÍ. foîv tó the Flefh, we (hall of the Flefh reap Co, ruption; bist ifwefew to the Spirit, that is, if we be fans}ified and renewed, we (hall ofthe Spirit reap everlafling Life. And ifthis were a mere arbitrary Condition, im.pofed uponus by theSovereign Will of God, without any Neceffity from the Nature ofthe Thing ; yet we ought to accept it, AS avery eafy Condition ; when he hatlr only Paid, as the Prophet did to Naaznan, Wafh and be dean. Certainly no Man can refute fo great a Bene- fit and Blefng conferred upon fuch cheap and tolerable Terms. God bath pio- mired us eternal Life; á mighty Blelfing indeed ! for the obtaining of which, no Condition that is poflible can be thought hard and unreafonable. And what does, he require of us for the obtaining of it ? But that we cleanfe hieslaves from all Fñthinef of Flefl> and Spirit, and perfect Holinef ïn th? Fear of God j that is, that we do with all Care and Diligence abftain from Sin, and endeavour to live a holy Life ; to conform out felves to the Will of God, and to be Obedient to his Laws. He does not require Perfe& t-Iolinefs of us in this Life, but a fincere Endeavour after it,, and he bath promifed to afiìlt our Éhdea',our; and if we go as far ás we cán, he will perfe&what is wanting. So that there is nothing in all this, but what is very pofiible for every Man to do, by the Affiflance of that Grace which he bath promifed to afford to us ; and if it be pofiible, we can- not anfwer our Negle& of it, when all our Hopes of Happinefs depend Upon it. But this is not all, there is yet 2. A farther Neceffity of it, inwardly to qualify and difpofe us for the Sight and Enjoyment of God. We cannot poffrbly love God, nor take Delight in him, unlefs we be like him in the Temper and Difpofition of our Minds. Ifwe would knowwhit will üiake us happy, we mutt look upon the great Pattern of Happinefs; and that isGod hithfelf; who as he is the molt Powerful, and Wife, and every way Perfe&, fo is he the.happieft Being in theWorld. So that if we would be happy, we muff be like God. We cannot be fo perfe& äs he is, and thereforewe cannot be fo happy ; but if we would be as happy, as Creatures are capableofbeing, we mutt endeavour to be as like God, as it is pof ible for Crea- tures to be. We muff refemble him as near as we cart, in thofe 'Perfe&ions wherein he is imitable by. us. And thefe are, as I may call them, the moral Perfe&ions of his Nature, which the Scripture ufually comprehends under the Name of Holinfr; his Goodnefss, and Patience, raid Mercy, and Juftice, and Truth, and Faithful- nefs; and thefe as they are the great Glory, fo the chief Felicity Of the Divine Nature. . Goodnefs is a Perfe&ion of it felf, tho' it were without any great Degree of Knowledge or Power. A poor Man, and one that is ignorant in comparifon of others, mayyet be a very good Man. But Power and Knowledge feparated from Goodnefs, are net Perfe&ions, but may be applied to the worft and moft mifchie- vous Purpofes; as we fee in the Devil, who hath both thefe Qualities in ahigh Degree. If we could fuppofe an omnipotent and all-knowingBeing, that were deftitute of Goodnefs, he would not only be troublefome to others, but uneafy to him- felf. Without Goodnefs there can be no Happinefs. So that thofe Perfe&ions which contribute moft to the Happinefs of the Divine Nature, are the eafieft to be imitated by us: Wemay be like God in hisHolinefs, that is, inhis Goodnefs,'. and Patience, and Mercy, andRighteoufnefs, and Truth. And thefe Perfe&ions are the veryTemper and. Difpofition of Happinefs ; for they are the Nature of God, who is therefore of entially happy, becaufehe is a Being conftitutedof thefe Perfe&ions. :And fo far as we imitate God in thefe, we are Pdrta/eri of a Divine Nature; we dwell in God, dnd God in ni. So ourApoftle tells us in the 4thchap- ter, Verfe 16.. God it Love ; and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth inGod, and God in him. Thefe Divine Qualities make us fit Company for our Heavenly Father, and capableof the Joys of Heaven, and theDelightsof that glorious Place. And the contrary Temper and Difpofition is the Nature of the Devil, and the very Thing which makes it inlpofíible for him to be happy. Malice, and Envy, and Revenge, are unquiet Paflliions ; and in what Nature foever they are, they are 4 as
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