man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. But peradventure some may imagine, that there is something singular and extraordinary in these eminent persons, which we must never hope to equal; but must be content to follow them at a vast distance. Well, let this be fo; what have we to say to whole churches animated by the same spirit of zeal? what are we to think of the churches of Macedonia, whose charity St. Paul thus magnifies, 2 Cor. viii. 2, 3. In a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality. For to their power I bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves. And St. Paul declares himself perfuaded of the Romans, that they were full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, Rom. xv. 14. And of the Corinthians he teftifies, that they were inriched in every thing, and came behind in no gift. 1 Cor. i. 5, 6. That they did abound in all things, in faith, in diligence, &c. 2 Cor. viii. 7. I will stop here; 'tis in vain to heap up more instances: I have faid enough to shew, that vigour and fervency in the fervice of God, is no miraculous gift, no extraordinary prerogative of some peculiar favourite of heaven, but the natural and

inseparable property of a well-confirmed babit of holiness.

Lastly;

1

Laftly; Is constancy and steadiness the property of an habit? it is an undoubted property of perfection too. In fcripture good men are every-where represented as Standing faft in the faith, ftedfaft and unmoveable in the works of God; holding faft their integrity: in one word, as conftantly following after righteousness, and maintaining a good confcience towards God and man. And fo natural is this to one habitually good, that St. John affirms of fuch a one, that he cannot fin; I John iii. 9. Whafoever is born of God, doth not commit fin, for his feed remaineth in him, and be cannot fin, because he is born of God. Accordingly, Job is faid to have feared God, and eschewed evil; which must be underftood of the conftant course of his life. Zachary and Elizabeth are faid to be righteous, walking in all the commandments of God blameless, Lukei. 6. Enoch, Noah, Devid, and other excellent perfons, who are pronounced by God righteous, and juft, and perfect, are said in fcripture, to walk with God, to ferve him with a perfect heart with a full purpose of heart to cleave to him, and the like. And this is that constancy which Christians are often exhorted to; watch ye, stand faft in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong, 1 Cor. xvi. 13. And of which the first followers of our Lord left us fuch remarkable examples. The difciples are

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said to have been continually in the temple bleffing and praising God, Luke xxiv. And the first Chriftians are faid to have continued Stedfaftly in the apostles doctrine and fellowsbip, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers, Acts ii. 42.

Thus I think I have sufficiently cleared my notion of Perfection from fcripture: nor need I multiply more texts, to prove what I think no man can doubt of, unless he mistake the main design and end of the gospel; which is to raise and exalt us to a steady habit of holiness: The end of the commandment, faith St. Paul, 1 Tim. i. 5. is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good confcience, and of faith unfeigned. This is the utmoft Perfection man is capable of, to have his mind enlightened, and his heart purified; and to be informed, acted, and influenced by faith and love, as by a vital principle; and all this is effential to habitual goodness.

If any one defire further light or fatif faction in this matter, let him read the eighth chapter to the Romans, and he will foon acknowledge, that he there finds the fubftance of what I have hitherto advanced. There, though the word itself be not found, the thing called Perfection is described in all the strength and beauty, in all the pleafure and advantages of it: there the difciple of Jefus is reprefented

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as

as one, who walks not after the flesh, but after the spirit; as one, whom the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set free from the law of fin and death; one, who & φρονέ, does not mind or relish the things of the flesh, but the things of the spirit; one, in whom the fpirit of Christ dwells: he does not stand at the door, and knock; he does not make a tranfient visit; but here he reigns, and rules, and inhabits: one finally, in whom the body is dead because of fin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. And the result of all this is the joy and confidence, the security and transport that becomes the child of God. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then beirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Chrift. And now 'tis no wonder, if the perfect man long for the revelation of the glory of the fons of God; if he cry out in rapture, If God be for me, who can be against me? who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? who shall feparate me from the love of Christ? and so on. If any one would fee the perfect man described in fewer words, he needs but cast his eye on Rom. vi. 22. But now being made free from fin, and become fervants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. CHAP.

CHAP. II.

This notion of Perfection countenanced by all parties, however different in their expreffions. Some short reflections upon what the Pelagians, the Papifts, the Quakers, and the mystical writers, have faid concerning Perfection.

A

FTER I have shewed that this notion of Perfection is warranted by reason and fcripture; I see not why I should be very folicitous whether it do or do not clash with the opinions of men. But the truth is, if we examine not so much the expressions and words, as the fenfe and meaning of all parties about this matter, we shall find them well enough agreed in it at the bottom. And 'tis no wonder, if (notwithstanding several incidental disputes) they should yet agree in the main: fince the experience of mankind does eafily teach us what fort of Perfection human nature is capable of; and what can, or cannot actually be attained by man. The Pelagians did not contend for an angelical Perfection, nor St. Austin deny fuch a one as was truly fuitable to man: the one could not be fo far a stranger to human nature, as to exempt it in reality from those errors and defects which the best of men complain of, and

C