Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

SERM. a glory; nothing that ftands in need of continual CLXXXVI. reparation, as "flesh and blood" does, can "in"herit the kingdom of GoD;" nothing but a

fixt and immutable nature, which can never decay, is capable of everlasting happiness.

But this part of likeness and conformity to GOD, though it be neceffary to make us capable of the felicity of another world, yet it is no part of our duty and care if we endeavour after the other, which confists in holiness and purity, GOD will work this in us, and for us, without any concurrence of ours. All that he requires of us, is, that we firmly believe it, and patiently expect it, and fervently pray for it, and afpire after it. And indeed our likeness to GOD in this refpect, depends upon our conformity to him in purity and holiness. For as by fin "death entered into the world, and fo death paffed 86 upon all men :" fo nothing but holiness can restore us to immortality.

[ocr errors]

The foundation of all our hopes of a bleffed immortality, is to be laid in the price of our redemption, as the meritorious caufe of it, and in our being " re"newed after the image of GOD, in righteousness "and true holiness," as the proper qualification and capacity for it on our parts. We muft" have our "fruit unto holinefs," if we look that "the end "should be everlafting life." And to this purpose it is excellently faid in the Wisdom of Solomon, "the "keeping of GoD's commandments is the affurance of "immortality, and immortality makes us like toGod." And therefore I fhall mainly apply myself to the

IId thing, namely, to fhew that our likenefs to God in the purity of our fouls is neceffary to make us capable of the bleffed fight and enjoyment of him in

the

the next life. It is neceffary as a condition of the thing; SERM, and it is neceffary as a qualification in the perfon.

"

1. It is neceffary as a condition of the thing to be performed on our part, before we can expect that GOD fhould make good the promise of eternal life and happiness to us. The exprefs conftitution and appointment of God hath made it neceffary, who hath told us," without holiness no man fhall fee him;" that if we fow to the flesh, we shall of the flesh " reap corruption; but if we fow to the SPIRIT," that is, if we be fanctified and renewed, "we shall "of the SPIRIT reap everlasting life." And if this were a mere arbitrary condition, imposed upon us by the fovereign will of Gop, without any neceffity from the nature of the thing, yet we ought to accept. it, as a very eafy condition; when he hath only faid, as the prophet did to Naaman, "wash and be clean." Certainly no man can refuse so great a benefit and bleffing conferred upon fuch cheap and tolerable terms. God hath promised us eternal life; a mighty bleffing indeed! for the obtaining of which, no condition that is poffible can be thought hard and unreafonable. And what does he require of us for the obtaining of it? but that we "cleanfe ourselves from "all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness "in the fear of GOD;" that is, that we do with all care and diligence abstain from fin, and endeavour to live a holy life; to conform ourfelves to the will of GOD, and to be obedient to his laws. He does not require perfect holiness of us in this life, but a fincere endeavour after it, and he hath promised to affift our endeavour; and if we go as far as we can, he will perfect what is wanting. So that there is nothing in all this, but what is very poffible for every man to

do,

CLXXXVI.

SERM. do, by the affiftance of that grace which he hath proCLXXXVI. mifed to afford us; and if it be poffible, we can

not answer our neglect of it, when all our hopes of happiness depend upon it. But this is not all, there is yet,

2. A farther neceffity of it, inwardly to qualify and difpofe us for the fight and enjoyment of God. We cannot poffibly love God, nor take delight in him, unless we be like him in the temper and difpofition of our minds. If we would know what will make us happy, we must look upon the great pattern of happiness, and that is GOD himself, who as he is the most powerful, and wife, and every way perfect, fo is he the happiest being in the world. So that if we would be happy, we must be like GOD. We cannot be fo perfect as he is, and therefore we cannot be so happy; but if we would be as happy, ás creatures are capable of being, we must endeavour to be as like God as it is poffible for creatures to be.

We must resemble him as near as we can, in those perfections wherein he is imitable by us. And these are, as I may call them, the moral perfections of his nature, which the fcripture ufually comprehends under the name of holiness; his goodness, and patience, and mercy, and juftice, and truth, and faithfulness; and these, as they are the great glory, fo the chief felicity of the divine nature.

Goodness is a perfection of itself, though it were without any great degree of knowledge or power. A poor man, and one that is ignorant in comparison of others, may yet be a very good man. But power and knowledge feparated from goodness, are not perfections, but may be applied to the worst and most mischievous

mifchievous purposes; as we fee in the devil, who SERM. hath both these qualities in a high degree.

If we could fuppofe an omnipotent and all-knowing being, that were deftitute of goodnefs, he would not only be troublesome to others, but uneafy to himfelf. Without goodness there can be no happiness. So that thofe perfections which contribute most to the happiness of the divine nature, are the eafieft to be imitated by us. We may be like GoD in his holiness, that is, in his goodness, and patience, and mercy, and righteoufnefs, and truth. And these perfections are the very temper and difpofition of happiness; for they are the nature of Go D, who is therefore effentially happy, because he is a being conftituted of these perfections. And fo far as we imitate GOD in thefe, we are "partakers of a divine nature; we dwell in GOD, and GOD in us." So our apoftle tells us in the ivth chapter, ver. 16. "GOD is love; and he that dwelleth in love, "dwelleth in GoD, and GOD in him." Thefe divine qualities make us fit company for our heavenly FATHER, and capable of the joys of heaven, and the delights of that glorious place.

And the contrary temper and difpofition is the nature of the devil, and the very thing which makes it impoffible for him to be happy. Malice, and envy, and revenge, are unquiet paffions; and in what nature foever they are, they are as vexatious and tormentful to itself, as they are troublesome and mifchievous to others. These are a hell within us, and are as natural caufes of mifery, as bodily diseases are of pain and restleffnefs; and while thefe furies are in us, nothing without us can make us happy.

VOL. X.

F

The

CLXXXVI.

SERM. The capacity and foundation of all felicity must be CLXXXVI. laid in the inward frame of our minds, in a godlike

temper and difpofition. Till the image of his holinefs and goodness, which hath been defaced by fin, be renewed upon our minds, we are utterly incapable of the enjoyment of the first and chief good, in which all our felicity does confist.

And thus you fee what a neceffary connexion there is between our likeness and conformity to GOD, and the bleffed vifion and enjoyment of him. All that now remains, is to draw fome inferences from what hath been difcourfed upon this argument, and fo I fhall conclude.

I. This fhews us, how impoffible it is to reconcile a wicked life with the hopes of heaven. The terms of our happiness are firmly and immutably fixed, like "the foundation of the earth, which cannot be "moved;" nay fooner may "heaven and earth pass "away," than a wicked man enter into the kingdom of heaven. If we continue in a finful and impenitent ftate, we muft neceffarily "come short of "the glory of GOD." And therefore all those devices which men have found out, to excuse themselves from a holy life, and yet to maintain hopes of getting to heaven at laft, are but foolish arts of fecurity, and tricks to undo ourfelves quietly, and without any great disturbance. Some think to be faved by an external profeffion of religion, though it have no force and efficacy upon their lives; fome by being of the only true Church, wherein falvation is to be had: and yet if it were true, that there were any one party or community of chriftians, out of which there were no falvation, I am fure this likewife is true, that there is no church wherein a wicked man can be faved.

3

Others

[ocr errors]
« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »