439 / 652
SECT.
t'.]
TEE
ñ.ÌPpINESS
tlT`
5EtlrItATL+ SÌ'IR!'T`s.
479
or
likeness
to God, than the
meanest saint
or angel in
heaven
?
Is
not their sublimer
knowledge
and nearness
to
God
attended
with
proportionable
rays
of
divine
sanc-
tity and glory?
Is not
the divine image
in
these
exalted
saints more complete
than
in
the
very lowest
?
And
yet
we
may boldly assert,
that
the meanest
saint
or
angel
there
is so
perfect
in
holiness, as to be free
from
all
sin
:
There
is
nothing to
be found in
any
spirit
there,
contrary
to
the
nature
or the
will
of God.
So
a
soul
released from the body may
perhaps
grow
in
likeness
and
love to
God 'perpetually, and yet
it
may
have no
sinful
defects
either
in
its love
or conformity
to
God
from
the
first moment
of
its
entrance into
heaven.
I
shall first
illustrate
this by
two
similitudes, and
then
propose
a
rational
and clear
account
of
it
in
a
way
of
argument.
When
the
distant
morning -sun
shines
on
a piece
of
po-
lished metal,'
the metal reflects the face
of
the sun
in
per -
fection, when the sun first rises on
it.
But the same
instruments
coming directly
under
the meridian
sun-
beams, shall reflect
the
same image
brighter and warmer
:
And yet every moment
of
this reflection from the
morn-
ing to
the highest
noon,
shall
be
perfect,
that
is,
without
spot, without
blemish,
and without defect
:"
Such
perhaps
is
the holiness
of
all
the saints
in
heaven.
Or
shall
I rather
borrow
a similitude from scripture,
and
say,
the holiness
of
the
spirits in heaven
is
compared
to
fine
linen
?
Rev.
xix.
8.
The
"
fine
linen clean
and
white
is
the righteousness
of
the saints,
Ta
atxatcaµaTa
TAO
ayiwv.
Now though
a garment
may be
perfectly clean
without
the
least spot
or stain,
yet
fine
linen may grow
whiter
hourly, as
it
is
bleached
by
the constant influence
of
the
heavens.
So
though
every
spirit
be perfectly
cleansed and purified
from all sin
and defilement,
yet it is,
not
impossible
that
the degrees of
its
grace and holiness,
or
conformity to
God,
may
grow
brighter, and much im-
prove
by
nearer approaches to
God,longer
acquaintance
with
him,
and the
continued
influences
of
his
majesty
and love.
Now let
me
propose
a
rational account of
this
matter
to the
consideration
of
those
whose
minds
are raised
above common prejudices.
The
holiness
of
an
innocent creature
consists in
at