if we believe and expect it in good earneft, we certainly fhall make, even now. For that is my

1 Pet. i. 15.

III. Third and Laft Head, That the knowing we shall be like God, and fee him as he is, cannot, in the very nature of the thing, but be a proper and very powerful inducement to Piety and Virtue. Every one, fays St. John, that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure. The purifying himself as he is pure, is to be understood, like thofe Commands of being holy as God is holy, and perfect, and merciful, as our beavenly Father is merciful and per-. fect. All which are intended, not of an Equality, but of a Likeness only; and That, fuch a Likeness, as our present Condition will admit. Not of a State altogether finlefs; but fuch degrees of Goodness as may be attained to, fuch as imports an Allowance for neceffary Frailties and infeparable Defects, and a gracious acceptance of fincere Endeavours, instead of abfolute Perfection.

Matth. v. 48.

Luke vi. 36.

Matth. v. 8.

Heb. xii. 14.

1 Cor. vi. 9, 10.

Such is the Purity mentioned here, as a natural Confequence of this glorious Hope. For, every one that bath this Hope in him, can have it no otherwise, than upon the Terms, which the Promifes of God have thought fit to limit it by. Since therefore the Seeing God is a Bleffing peculiar to the pure in heart; Since it is declared, that without Holiness no man fhall fee the Lord; that the Unrighteous, Fornicators, Idolaters, Adulterers, Effeminate, Abufers of themfelves with Mankind, Thieves, Drunkards, Covetous, Revilers, Extortioners, fhall none of them inherit the Kingdom of God; 'Tis plain, that this Purity and Holinefs here are indifpenfable Conditions of obtaining Happiness hereafter; and They, who indulge themfelves in any fuch Abominations, deceive their own Souls with falfe Expectations, and do not properly hope, but impudently prefu:ne.

N 4

The

The Truth is, God in his Wisdom hath so ordered the Matter, fo admirably contrived our Nature and our Duty, that Virtue and Happinefs are one and the fame, differing but in the Circumftances and feveral Prospects, we confider and view them under. The Good begin their Heaven upon Earth, and finish there what was imperfect here. The more they mortify and mafter their fenfual Appetites, purge off their Corruptions, raife their Affections up to things Above, improve their Minds by the study of Religion, acquaint themselves with God by frequent Prayer and heavenly Meditation, wean themselves from, and get above the World; the more they are fpiritualized, and, as the Apostle expreffes it, made meet to be partakers of the Inheritance with the Saints in light. They have rendred the Joys of the next Life more familiar to their Thoughts, have already learn'd to tafte, and are in a better Difpofition to enjoy, the full Delight they fhall bring. As He, who is already vers'd in the Language, and Laws, and Customs, of a Country, is better fitted to converfe in, and improve the Pleafures and Advantages of it, than any raw and unexperienced Perfon, who goes to fettle there, without fuch previous Skill or Preparation. And therefore Thofe Men may at least be judged to have qualified themfelves for higher Degrees of Blifs and Glory, who have, even before they came thither, already had their Hearts, their Treajure, and their Converfation in

Heaven.

I know, fome Men think thofe Arguments liable to Objection, which undertake to prove, that, were a wicked Man received into Heaven, he could not think himself happy, where every thing would be found fo oppofite to his Temper and Senfe of Happinefs. Now this is an Affertion, founded on that general Maxim, That all Pleasure refults from the Agreeableness of the Object, and its being fuited to the Faculty or Palate

of

of the Party enjoying it. And, have we any Warrant to pronounce this here a Cafe exempted from fo general a Rule? They who argue thus, allow, with the Objectors, that Heaven must be perfect Happiness to all who inhabit there. The Objectors, I hope, allow too, that none but good Men can inhabit there. And it should be remembred, that they who put the Cafe, are fenfible, they fuppofe a Condition impoffible in Fact. The Design of this Argument therefore is only to fhew, that the Day of Recompence will find us, exactly as Death left us: that if we have not killed the Man of Sin, Death will not do it for us: And, that there is fo exact a Congruity between our Duty and our Reward, that they do not differ in Nature and Kind, but in Degree, and greater and lefs Perfection. Confequently, that the labouring to be like God here, is the only Expedient we know, for being like him hereafter.

I will not deny, but fome, who have led ill Lives, may, upon their Repentance at laft, be fuddenly received to Mercy; Nor will I venture to fay, fuch is uncovenanted Mercy. But, when even this is done, there must be a Change of Affections, (the very Notion of Repentance implies thus much ;) And certainly no Man, who confiders this matter with Serioufnefs, will venture his All upon it. The Hazards are fo many, the Uncertainty fo great, the Encouragements fo flender, the Examples for it fo few, and when closely examined, fo fhort of the Point; that I fhould think that Man much more ingenuous and of a piece, that lives ill, and abfolutely difavows any Thoughts of a Life to come; than He is, who profeffes to entertain fuch a Hope, and yet leaves himself nothing, but one fuch defperate pufh for it. To conclude all, (for I have been carried to an unufual length) Nothing can ever be more abfurd, than the Principles of a Christian and the Life of a Pagan;

than

per

than to call our felves the Sons of God, and all the while be Servants to the Devil; to hope for Christ's coming again, and to do the Works he came before on purpose to deftroy; to hope to be like God hereafter, and to make our felves as unlike him as may be, in the mean while. To pretend we wait and pant for that Likeness, as the compleat Felicity of Human Nature, and wilfully to obftruct our own Happiness, in fuch Measures of it, as may be compafs'd here, and are the only rational Evidences of defiring the fulness of it hereafter. These things can never ftand together, never approve us to the Judgment of God or Man. No. Let us remember the End and Temof the Chriftian Faith, the Defign of our great and precious Promifes, and the Purpose of our Bleffed Lord's caufing himself and his Gospel to fhine upLet our Thoughts, our Words, our every Action fhew, we have duly confidered that memorable Text of St. Paul, fo nearly allied to the Offices of this Day: The Grace of God, that bringeth SalTit. ii. 11, 12. vation, bath appeared to all Men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we should live foberly, righteously, and godlily, in this prefent world; looking for that bleffed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

on us.

The only Application I fhall make of this Difcourfe, is earnestly to conjure every Chriftian, that he would very seriously, very frequently, meditate upon thefe things. For, the more he does fo, the more familiar they will be to him; the Belief of them more firm and lively, and the Value of them better underftood. All which, how neceffary, and how useful it is, will eafily appear by this One Obfervation; That no Man ever yet did an evil thing, knowingly and

deli

deliberately, but with a Propofal of fome Good from it. Now the impofing upon Men with falfe Opinions, and false Estimates, of the Ends they propound to themselves, is the very Foundation of all the Wickedness in the World. And confequently, the most effectual courfe to prevent, or give a check to Wickedness, is the fetting Men right in their Judgments of the good and evil Confequences, of good and bad Actions. Were this Perfuafion firmly rooted in their Hearts; were it, as it ought to be, always uppermoft in their Thoughts, that a Future State certainly awaits us, that the Glories and Bliffes of that State, even by what we do or may know of them already, are infinitely to be preferr'd before All this World can give us; and, that there are befides many and great Pleasures, yet hidden from our Eyes, unutterable, unconceivable, both for their Worth and Number: Can it be fuppofed, that Men, who in earnest believe, and actually remember, and duly weigh these things, could ever be feduced fo eafily, as we find they are, into Practices, which the Scripture declares the Enjoyments of thefe Bleffings was never intended for? No, 'tis impoffible. Men must lay afide all pretence to Reason, if they can act at this rate. The Fact is far otherwise. God promifes future and unfeen Advantages, as Motives to Virtue ; The Devil baits with fuch as are present and sensible indeed, but in no degree so valuable, as Allurements to fin. Now thefe Latter could never prevail above the Former, were it not, that Men under Temptation are wanting to themselves, either in the Vigour of their Faith, or in the Juftnefs of their Computation, or in urging upon their, Confcience the Neceffity of the Condition. That is, they do not fufficiently think, and convince themselves of fuch a State, but, being out of fight, it is out of mind too. And for the Benefit of these I defigned my First Head. or

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