43. Lastly, hence 'twill follow, That we ought to perform this Rational Will of God with Angelical Alacrity and Conftancy, partly for its own Excellency, as 'tis à purfuance of our Intereft, and partly out of gratitude and generofity to God, for giving us fuch excellent Laws; in keeping of which, there is fo great Reward. For not only the End of our Religion is Happinefs, but even her very ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her Paths are Peace. Quintilian inquiring why for mer Ages afforded better Orators than the later, refolves the Problem into this, Because there were then greater Encouragements and Rewards. And if great Encouragements will make good Orators, why fhould they not make good Men? Let us then make it our daily Endea vour, as we do our daily Prayer, that this excellent Will of God may be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven; and the more we do fo, the more we fhall still be convinc'd that it is our Reasonable Service.

A Difcourfe concerning Perfeverance in Holi nefs.

1. LL that is of any moment for the full Discharg ing of this. Subject, will be abfolved in thefe Three Confiderations. First, That Man has one way or other fufficient Power to Perfevere in a Course of Holinefs if he will; otherwife all Exhortations would be in vain.Secondly, That 'tis alfo impoffible for him to Fall from a State of Holiness; otherwife they would all be fuperfluous. And Laftly, By fhewing him what vaft Encouragements, what infinite Engagements he has to

stand.

2. I begin with the Firft, That Man has one way or other fufficient Power to Perfevere in a Courfe of Holinefs if he will. Where by Perfeverance, I do not underftand a continuedly uniform, equal courfe of Obedience, and fuch as is not interrupted with the leaft act of Sin, (for this is a Perfection not to be hoped for, under the Difadvantages of Mortality) but only fuch a constancy of Obedience as excludes all contrary Habits, and likewife all fuch acts of Sin as are faid directly to wast the Confcience; those I mean, which are cominitted against the clear and exprefs Dictate either of Natural Reason, or Supernatural Revelation. And withall (to compleat the Character) fuch an Obedience as is attended with a fedulous care and hearty endeavour to correct and subdue, even thofe pittiable Infirmities, which can never be wholly put off in this State, but will always adhere like Spots, to the brightest Star in the Firmament. This I conceive, to be all one with that difpofition of Soul which with more compendioufnefs we ufually call Sincerity, in oppofition to a perfect and finless Obedience. Now that Man has fufficient Power to Perfevere in fuch

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a Course of Life as is here defcribed, (not to call in the affiftance of any other Argument) feems to me evidently demonftrable from this fingle Confideration, That to be found in the State above-mentioned is the Condition of the New-Covenant, upon the fulfilling of which, all our hopes of Pardon and Salvation depend. I do not fay 'tis the indifpenfable Condition of our Salvation, that we Persevere uninterruptedly even in this State of Evangelical Righteousness (it being poffible for a Man after an interruption of a falvable State to recover into it again, as is plain from the Cafe of David, St. Peter, and many others) but that we be found finally in this State, is the Condition of our Salvation. For if the Righteous Man turneth away from his Righteousness, and committeth iniquities and dyes in them, the Righte oufnefs that he hath done shall not be mentioned; in the Sin that he hath finned fhall he Dye. Well then, if Sal vation be not to be had out of this State, then it follows, That it must never become impoffible to a Man without his own Fault, to be found in it, fince 'tis repugnant to the very Nature of a Covenant (much more of this great Covenant of Mercy) to have a Condition annex'd to it; which in fome Circumstances, and that without our Fault, may prove impoffible.

3. The Condition then of this new Covenant, must be as poffible to Man in this State of Degeneracy, now his Locks are haven, and his great Strength is departed from him, as the Condition of the first Covenant was to him in his Primitive Might and Vigour. Do this and live, is equally common to both; the only difference (except only that in this corrupt ftate of Humane Nature, the Grace of God is become neceffary to enable us to do what he fhall accept) lies in This that is to be done, not in the poffibility of the Performance. Or if there are degrees of poffibility, the advantage ought rather to lie on this fide, this being (as was hinted be fore) a Covenant of Grace and Mercy.

4. Well then, If to be found finally in the State above.

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defcribed, be the indifpenfable Condition of our Salvation, and if for that very reafon (as it has been prov'd) it must not in any Circumftance become impoffible without our Fault, it unavoidably follows, That 'tis allo poffible to Perfevere in it without Interruption; because otherwife, we having not the difpofal of our own Lives, it will oftentimes prove impoffible for us (and that without our own Fault) to be found finally in that State which is the Condition of Salvation; which is contrary to the fuppofition. The fhort is (to fpeak, all in a word) the poffibility of being found in a falvable State cannot be fufficiently fecured, without a poflibility of always Perfevering in it; and therefore I conclude it poffible for a Man to do fo; which was the thing I undertook to prove.

5. But now left Man upon a Survey of his Natural Strength, and of the Auxiliaries of the Divine Grace, fhould pronounce himfelf abfolutely Impregnable, and fhould begin to fay in his Heart (as the Pfalmift did in another Cafe) I shall never be remov'd, thou Lord of thy goodness haft made my Hill fo ftrong, 'tis high time to turn the Perfpective, and give him a more near, full, and diftinct View of his Condition; that instead of stretching himself upon the Bed of Security, he may learn to work out his Salvation with fear and trembling. Which we fhall do, by advancing to the fecond thing propofed, which is, That although Man has fufficient Power to Perfevere if he will, yet 'tis alfo poffible for him to Fall from a State of Holinefs. Navigat enim adhuc, for he is fill upon the Waters; and tho' with the ufe of Di ligence and prudent Conduct, he may decline both Rocks and Shallows, yet if he venture to fleep within the Velfel which he fhould govern, upon a groundless Prefump tion that an Angel will be his Pilot, and that he fhall be infallibly Steer'd to the right Point by the Arm of Om nipotence, he may notwithstanding the paft Succefs of his Voyage, and his confidence of the future, be Shipwreck'd even within fight of the Haven.

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6. I confefs, When I confider with what Strength and Combination of Argument, Chriftianity both as to Faith and Practice, does approve it felf to be the moft Rational Thing in the World. When I confider the Noblenefs of its Original (God being its Author) the Excellency of its Nature, (it being molt agreeable to, and perfective of our beft Faculties) its wholesome Effects and Operations, (the Interests of Kingdoms and States as well as of private Perfons depending upon it) and Laftly, the greatness of its End, which is no lefs than Everlasting Blifs and Happinefs: I fay, when I confider all this, I am ready to conclude it the most Prodigious Thing in Nature, that fo very Few fhould be in Love with the Beauty of Holiness, were I not immediately furprised with a greater Miracle, which is, That many of those few, after fome confiderable Progrefs in Virtue, retract their best Choice; and after the good Angel has brought them within fight of the Mountain of fafety, look back upon the Region of Wicked nefs..

7. This certainly is a Condition no lefs ftrange than deplorable, and calls for our Wonder as well as our Pity. 'Tis true indeed, Ignorance of the Sweets of Religion may fomething leffen the wonder of not Embracing it, and the Food of Angels may lie neglected on the Ground fo long, as Men wist not what it is; but for those who are once enlightened, and have tafted of the Heavenly Gift, and are made partakers of the Holy Ghoft, and have tafted the good Word of God, and the Power of the World to come, one would think it as difficult for fuch to fall away, as the Apoftle affures us 'tis, to renew them again. to Repentance.

8. But fuch is the imperfection and unfteddinefs of Human Nature, that from the beginning of Things there have been Instances of this kind. Paradife could not preferve Man in his Innocence; and the Garden of the Lord degenerated into a Wilderness. Neither is this to be obferv'd only in Man, who fits in the lowell Form