IF the writers upon Chriftian perfection have fancied to themselves fome peculiar degrees of piety, or extraordinary devotions which they call by that name, they have not done religion much fervice, by making Chriftian perfection to confist in any thing, but the right performance of our neceffary duties.

THIS is the perfection which this treatife endeavours to recommend; a perfection, that does not confift in any fingular ftate or condition of life, or in any particular fet of duties, but in the holy and religious conduct of our felves in every state of life.

I'r calls no one to a cloyfter, but to a right and full performance of thofe duties, which are neceffary for all Chriftians, and common to all states of life.

I CALL it perfection, for two reafons: first, becaufe I hope it contains a full representation of that height of holiness and purity, to which Christianity calls all its members: fecondly, that the title may invite the reader to perufe it with the more diligence, as expecting to find not only a difcourfe upon moral virtues, but a regular draught of thofe holy tempers which are the perfect measure and standard of Chriftian piety.

Now as perfection is here placed in the right performance of our neceffary duties, in the exercife of fuch holy tempers as are equally neceffary and equally practicable in all ftates of life; as this is the highest degree of Chriftian perfection; fo it is to be obferv'd, that it is alfo the lowest degree of holiness which the gofpel alloweth. So that tho' no order of men can pretend to go higher, yet none of us can have any fecurity in refting in any ftate of piety that is lower.

AND I hope this will be taken as a fign that I have hit upon the true ftate of Chriftian perfection, if I fhew it to be fuch, as men in cloyfters and religious retirements cannot add more, and at the fame time fuch, as Chriftians in all states of the world must not be content with lefs.

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FOR confider, what can Chriftian perfection be, but fuch a right performance of all the duties of life› as is according to the laws of Chrift? What can it be, but a living in fuch holy tempers, and acting with fuch difpofitions as Christianity requires? Now if this be perfection, who can exceed it? And yet what state, or circumstances of life, can allow any people to fall short of it?

LET us take an inftance in fome one particular temper of Chriftianity. Let it be the love of God; Christians are to love God with all their heart and all their ftrength. Now can any order of Chriftians exceed in this temper? Or is there any order of Christians who may be allowed to be defective in it?

Now what is thus true of the love of God, is equally true of all other religious duties; and confequently all thofe holy tempers of heart, which constitute the perfection of Chriftian piety, are tempers equally neceffary for all Chriftians.

As there is but one faith and one baptism, so there is but one piety and one perfection, that is common to all orders of Chriftians.

IT will perhaps be here objected, that this fuppofes that all people may be equally good; which feems as impoffible in the nature of things, as to fuppofe that. all people may be equally wife.

To this it may be anfwer'd, that this is neither altogether true, nor altogether falfe.

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FOR, to inftance in charity, it is true that all ple may be equally charitable, if we understand by charity that habit of the mind which ftands rightly 'difpos'd to all acts of charity; in this fenfe all, people may be equally charitable. But if we take charity for alms-giving, or a liberal affiftance of the poor; in this fenfe it is falfe, that all people may be equally

charitable.

Now as it is the habit of the mind, that conftitutes the excellency of charity; fo this is the charity

to which Christians are called, and in which they may all be equally perfect.

AGAIN, are not all people oblig'd to be equally honeft, juft, and true and faithful? In these virtues all are to be eminent and exact in the fame degree; there are no abatements to be made for any rank or order of people.

Now as to the external exercise of these duties, there may be great difference. One man may have great business in the world, and be honest and faithful in it all; another may have fmall dealings, and be honest in them; but provided that there be in both of them the fame juftice and integrity of mind, they are equally honeft, tho' their inftances of honefty, as to external acts of it, are as different as great things are different from fmall.

BUT as it is the habit of the mind, which is the juftice which religion requires; fo in this respect all people may be equally just.

Now this may ferve to fhew us in what refpect all people may be equally virtuous, and in what respect they cannot.

As to the external inftances or acts of virtue, in thefe they muft differ according to the difference of their circumftances and condition in the world; but as virtues are confider'd as habits of the mind, and principles of the heart, in this refpect they may all be equalÎy virtuous, and are all call'd to the fame perfection.

A MAN cannot exercife the fpirit of martyrdom, till he is brought to the stake; he cannot forgive his enemies, till they have done him wrong, till he suffers from them. He cannot bear poverty and diftress, till they are brought upon him All these acts of virtue depend upon outward causes; but yet he may piety and heroic fpirit equal to theirs who have died for their religion. He may have that charity of mind, which prays for its enemies; he may have that meeknefs and refignation to the will of God, as difpofes

have a

people

people to bear poverty and diftrefs with patience, and humble fubmiffion to the divine Providence.

So that they are only the external inftances and acts of virtue, which depend upon outward causes and circumftances of life; a man cannot give, till he has fomething to give; but the inward piety of the heart and mind, which conftitutes the state of Christian perfection, depends upon no outward circumftances. A man need not want charity, because he has no riches; nor be destitute of a forgiving fpirit, because he has no perfecutors to forgive.

ALTH O' therefore we neither are, nor can be all in the fame circumstances of life, yet we are to be all in the fame fpirit of religion; tho' we cannot be all equal in alms-giving, yet we are to be all alike in charity; tho' we are not all in the same state of persecution, yet we must be all in the same spirit that forgives and prays for its perfecutors; tho' we are not all in poverty and distress, yet we must all be full of that piety of heart which produces meeknefs, patience, and thankfulness, in diftress and poverty.

FROM these confiderations it is easy to apprehend how perfons may differ in inftances of goodnefs, and yet be equally good; for as the perfection of piety is the perfection of the heart, fo the heart may have the fame perfection in all states and conditions of life. And this is that perfection which is common to all ftates, and to which all orders of Christians are equally called.

AGAIN, There may be another difference of vir. tue founded in the different abilities of perfons; one may have a more enlighten'd mind than another, and so may see farther into his duty, and be able to practife it with greater exactness; but then as his goodness feems to confift in this, that he is true and faithful to what he knows to be his duty;. fo if another is as true and faithful to that measure of light and knowledge which God has given him, he seems to be as good a man, as he that is true and faithful to a greater light.

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We can hardly reconcile it with the divine Goodnefs, to give one man two talents, and another five, unless we suppose that he is as high in his master's favour who makes the right use of two, as he that makes the right use of five talents.

So that it ftill holds good, that it is the perfection of the heart that makes the perfection of every state of life.

IT may perhaps be farther objected, that the different degrees of glory in another life fuppofes that good men, and fuch as are accepted of God, do yet differ in their degrees of goodness in this life.

I GRANT that it does.

BUT then this is no proof, that all men are not called to the fame goodness and the fame perfection.

PERHAPS it cannot be faid of the best of men that ever lived, that they perform'd their duty in fuch perfection in all inftances, as they might have done.

Now as it fuits with the divine Mercy to admit men to happiness, who have not been in every respect fo perfect as they might have been, notwithstanding that he gave them fuch a rule of perfection; fo it equally fuits with the divine Mercy to admit men to different degrees of happiness, on account of their different conduct, tho' he gave them all one common rule of perfection.

DID not God pardon frailties and infirmities, the best of men could not be rewarded. But confider now, does God's pardoning of frailties and infirmities in the best of men prove, that the best of men were not called to any other perfection, than that to which they arrived? Does this prove, that God did not call them to be strictly good, becaufe he receives them to mercy with fome defects in goodness? No, moft furely.

YET this is as good an argument, as to fay, that all men are not called to the fame ftate of goodness or perfection, because they are admitted to different rewards in the other life.

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