human Soul, as the vifible Sun with its Light and Influence does to vital Nature in this lower World. But the best Philosopher believed it to be the Voice and Power of God in the Soul, exciting in it good Thoughts and holy Defires, and affifting us by his fpecial Grace, to conquer our natural Corruption, and return to our primitive Perfection; of which I could produce numberless Instances from the Platonic Writers. There is a noble and remarkable Paffage to this Purpose, in one of Seneca's Epiftles *. There is (fays he) an holy Spirit in every one of us, the Preferver and Fudge of Good and Bad, who behaves towards us, juft as we do towards him.

The Affertion of Arates, quoted by St. Paul, Acts xvii. 28. That we are the Offspring of God, (3 váp gir tour) was the concurrent Senfe of the beft Poets and Philofophers in all Ages of the World, though not expreffed in direct Terms, but strongly implied in equipotent Expreffions, all confeffing and adoring an Univerfal Omnipotent Spirit, the overflowing Fountain of Life, pervading, upholding, and filling all Things, in whom we live, and move, and have our Being. Him, whom the Athenians ignorantly worThipped under the Title of the ("Ayvws) unknown God, the Apoftle declares to be the Moft High God, who made the World and all Things therein, who giveth to all Life and Breath and all Things, in whofe Image our first Parent was created, and is therefore called The Son of God, Luke iii. 38. The Created

Sacer ineft in nobis fpiritus, bonorum malorumque cuftos & obfervator, & quemadmodum nos illum tractamus, ita & ille nos.

Image of the Ever-Bleffed Trinity, endued with all Perfections neceflary for his exalted Rank in the Scale of Being, which was to be Supreme Lord and Governor of this fublunary World.

For the better understanding our real and proper Perfection, let us try if we can strike out any Light, either from Reafon or Revelation, into the original, prefent, and future State of human Nature. In the firft Inquiry, Reason can give us no Affistance; and the Light we receive from Revelation, is feeble and obfcure. We are affured, that we were created in the Image of God; but the precife Signification and Extent of that Image is no where directly specified. All that we can learn about it is from the Analogy of Faith, comparing feveral Predictions and prophetic Symbols; and what the Scriptures declare concerning our Redemption and future Glory, which must be the fame which we loft by the firft Adam, and shall recover in the second.

As to our prefent State, it is a State of Difcord, Contention, and Oppofition, betwixt Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, the Flesh and the Spirit. The Good find themselves powerfully excited and affifted in the Operations of this holy Warfare, by an Omnipotent Loving Spirit, who manifefts himself by ineffable Impreffions of Light and Power upon the Pure in Heart; upon which Account they are called in Scripture the Children of God, Rom. viii. 16. Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ, Rom, viii. 17. Partakers of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. Guided by the Spirit of God, Rom. viii, 14. Having the Guardianship of Angels appointed to minifter to the Heirs f Salvation, Heb. i. 14. And their very Bodies are

called

John, to whom he appeared in the Isle of Patmos, Rev. i. 13, 14, 15, 16. He was cloathed with a Garment down to the Foot, and girt about the Paps with a golden Girdle, bis Head and his Hairs were white like Wool, as white as Snow, and his Eyes were as a Flame of Fire, and his Feet like unto fine Brass, as if they burned in a Furnace, and his Voice as the Sound of many Waters, and his Countenance was as the Sun fhineth in his Strength. In Comparison of this, how faint and feeble are all the Expreffions, how contemptible are all the Forms of worldly Glory. The Magnificence of an Eaftern Monarch is no more than Childrens Play, when compared with the Glory that fhall be revealed in every true Member of Chrift Jefus. Can any Hope, any Intereft, any Glory, be equal to this? And can those Men have any Pretenfions to Honour and true Greatness of Mind, who renounce this high and heavenly Calling? who reject the Offer of immortal Life and Glory, and endeavour to perfuade themfelves and others, that they have in them no Princi ple or Hope of Immortality, but are only dropped into the World by Chance, to live and die like the Beafts that perish. These Gentlemen ought to be regarded, by every fincere Chriftian and Lover of Virtue, not only as Enemies to the Crofs of Chrift, but as Traitors to their own Species, and Enemies of human Nature, as they endeavour to deprive us of that glorious Hope, which alone can fupport us under the manifold Diftreffes of this mortal Life. And it is worth observing, that while the good Christian patiently submits to the Anguish of Pain, the Confinement of a fick Bed, the Infirmities of old Age, and the Agonies of Death, in the Hope of a glorious Refurrection to

immortal

and Charity, which, in the fashionable World, paffes under the Name of Politenefs and Good-breeding. The true Pattern of folid Virtue, and Standard of Perfection, is the Life of the Bleffed Jefus, who came down from Heaven to inftruct us in every Branch of our Duty, to teach us the Dignity and Worth of hu man Souls, one of which he declares to be of more Value than the whole World, and for which nothing lefs than the ineftimable Price of his moft precious Blood could be a fufficient Ranfom. He taught us, by his Precepts and Example, that true Greatness of Mind confifted in a Contempt of the World, in renouncing all the Riches, Honours, and Pleafures of this mortal Life, in overcoming all the Temptations of Luxury, Vanity, and Pride, to which our several States and Conditions of Life may expofe us; and that our real Happiness is not to be found in this World, but only in that which is to come.

As to our future State. St. John tells us in gene. ral, 1 John iii. 2. That We are now the Sons of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when Chrift shall appear, we shall be like him, for we fall fee Him as He is; which, without correspondent Faculties, we cannot do. So then, if we be Partakers of his Spirit here, we fhall be Partakers of his Glory hereafter; if He has, by the mighty Operation of his Grace, purified our Souls from dead Works, He shall also change our vile Body Ασῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν) that it may be like unto his glorious Body, according to the mighty Working whereby He is able to fubdue all Things to himself. The Form and Splendor of our Lord's Glorious Body are very fully and diftinctly defcribed by the Evangelift St.

John,

John, to whom he appeared in the Ifle of Patmos, Rev. i. 13, 14, 15, 16. He was cloathed with a Garment down to the Foot, and girt about the Paps with a golden Girdle, bis Head and his Hairs were white like Wool, as white as Snow, and his Eyes were as a Flame of Fire, and his Feet like unto fine Brafs, as if they burned in a Furnace, and his Voice as the Sound of many Waters, and his Countenance was as the Sun fhineth in his Strength. In Comparison of this, how faint and feeble are all the Expreffions, how contemptible are all the Forms of worldly Glory. The Magnificence of an Eaftern Monarch is no more than Childrens Play, when compared with the Glory that fhall be revealed in every true Member of Chrift Jesus. Can any Hope, any Intereft, any Glory, be equal to this? And can those Men have any Pretenfions to Honour and true Greatness of Mind, who renounce this high and heavenly Calling? who reject the Offer of immortal Life and Glory, and endeavour to perfuade themfelves and others, that they have in them no Principle or Hope of Immortality, but are only dropped into the World by Chance, to live and die like the Beasts that perish. These Gentlemen ought to be regarded, by every fincere Chriftian and Lover of Virtue, not only as Enemies to the Crofs of Chrift, but as Traitors to their own Species, and Enemies of human Nature, as they endeavour to deprive us of that glorious Hope, which alone can fupport us under the manifold Diftreffes of this mortal Life. And it is worth observing, that while the good Christian patiently submits to the Anguish of Pain, the Confinement of a fick Bed, the Infirmities of old Age, and the Agonies of Death, in the Hope of a glorious Refurrection to

immortal