be, an important and valuable Advance in SER M. Goodness: An Addition to that Number XIII. of good Actions, whofe Sum will render our Happiness the more exalted and complete. It will carry us on till we become here on Earth a little lower than the Angels; and, by a natural and easy Tranfition, fhall be made equal to them in Heaven: Which leads me,

IIdly, To offer fome Reasons and Confiderations to engage us in fuch a Practice. And,

ift, Let it be confidered, that this progreffive State. is our Duty. And in this View we may obferve, that the Scriptures have not determined what precise Quantity of Goodness, neither more nor lefs, will intitle us to the Favour of God; and, by that, to the Inheritance that fadeth not away: It being their Design to make Men not just so far virtuous, and no farther; but to make them as virtuous and pious as poffible. Accordingly we are commanded to grow in Grace, to go on to Perfection, to be perfect, even as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect; to be holy, as He is holy; merciful, as He is merciful. The Degrees indeed of thefe Perfections we shall never be able fully to reach, nor is it the Intention of the Command that we should: But it is in our Power to make a conftant and

X 4

.

SER M. and continued Progress in the Kinds of thefe XIII. Perfections; and thence arifes our Obliga

tion to advance in the Degrees as far as the Sum of our Faculties, exercised and improved to the utmoft, can carry us. For ridiculous and intolerable would be the Pretence, that, because the Distance of any Point is infinite, therefore it is not in our Power to make any Approaches towards it. Truth, Juftice, Mercy, Goodness, and Holiness are effentially and eternally the fame in their own Nature. And fince God hath been pleased to create us in his own Image, by enduing us with Reafon, and thereby making us capable of exercifing these his own Attributes, which, in a lower Degree, he hath graciously communicated to us; fo by our diligent Improvement in them, by beholding, as in a Glafs, the Glory of the Lord, we are renewed more intimately into that Image; we attain to a nearer Refemblance of his Divine Nature, The Rule is perfect, that Scope might be given to the moft exalted Virtue; but the abfolute Perfection of it unattainable, that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. Our Condemnation will not lie in this, that we did not exactly tranfcribe the Original; but that we did not make the Copy fo complete as was in our . Power. The beft Conviction and Affurance then, that we can have of truly discharging

our

our Duty, is the Evidence of this Progrefs SER M. in our Chriftian Course.

It is not uncommon indeed to hear fome Men exprefs themselves in fuch Terms of Indifference about their religious Conduct, as if it were the least Concern they had in the World; to hear them make a Jest of the high Strains of Piety and Goodness which they obferve in others, and ludicrously, or rather profanely declare, they do not pretend to be fuch Saints; they should be content with the loweft Place in Heaven, Happy, no Doubt, will he be, who, by a faithful Discharge of his Duty to the utmoft of his Power, fhall obtain a Place in the loweft of the heavenly Manfions: But for Men, with an Air of Prefumption, to pretend to cut out for themfelves juft fuch a Portion of Duty as they think will intitle them to an ineftimable Reward; and, like wary Dealers, put themselves to no more Expence than what they judge will be barely neceffary to purchase that Pearl to which the Kingdom of Heaven is compared: This is a Covetousness which is Idolatry: It is facrificing the Riches of God's Goodness, their natural and spiritual Powers, to their own Indolence and Wantonnefs: It is doing a Despight to that Spirit of Grace, which otherwife might have become a reigning Principle in their Hearts, and productive of many generous and wor

thy

XIII.

SERM. thy Actions. XIII. committed five Talents in the Parable, gained no more than him to whom two only were committed, can we think he would have merited the Title of a good and faithful Servant? No, of a wicked and flothful Servant; flothful, in not making the moft of them; wicked, in refolving not to make the most of them. In fhort, they who are bleffed with the highest Powers, whether intellectual, moral, or fpiritual, are under a ftrict Obligation to employ them in all the Offices of Goodnefs, and in Degrees proportionable to thofe Powers. The Command given by St. Paul to Timothy, concerning those who have worldly Riches, virtually extends to them ; and under the fame Penalty, the Forfeiture of their Salvation, Charge them, that they be rich in good Works.

Had he, to whom were

If any Man thinks himself already as virtuous and good as he needs to be; it is a certain Sign, he has not yet arrived at any Eminence in Virtue. For from thence, as from a rifing Ground, the Profpect would enlarge upon him, and enable him. to defery vaftly-diftant Tracts, to which the fmall Space that he had already meafured bore no Proportion. Few Men will pretend to have made equal Advances with St. Paul towards Perfection; he being one of thofe Perfons, that, whatever they do,

do

XIII.

do it with all their Soul, and with all their S E R M. Strength; yet he was far from thinking, that he had finished his Work, or that he might remit any Thing of his Endeavours. On the contrary, we find him imitating the Alacrity of those who run in a Race; who do not fo much confider what Quantity of Ground they have already cleared, as how much ftill remains, to call forth their Strength and Agility. Not, fays he, as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: But I follow after, if that I may apprehend That for which I alfo am apprehended of Chrift Jefus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: But this one Thing I do; forgetting thofe Things which are behind, and reaching forth unto thofe Things which are before, I press towards the Mark, (or Goal) for the Prize of the High Calling of God in Chrift Jefus. And it is remarkable, that he urges the Imitation of this his Example, not only to thofe of the Philippians, who were newly entered into the Christian Profeffion, and confequently can be fuppofed to have made but flender Improvements in it; but, Let us, fays he, as many as are perfect, be thus minded.

We see then how much it is the Duty of the very best of us to be always improv ing in Goodness, and growing in Grace; to be endeavouring after the Fulness of the

Meafure