the blessed, they are made perfectly holy, and therefore blessed; so, here on earth, those more obscure and glimmering discoveries, which God vouchsafeth of himself, when he passeth before them in his ordinances, though they see him but darkly through glass, yet even this sight of God is also transforming, and changeth the soul into the likeness' and image of God; as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. iii. 18. We.....beholding as in a glass The glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to gloryamas by the Spirit of the Lord. So that, you see, there is very little difference, between our present state of grace and lout finine state; of glory, but only du degrees and measures. bst! John speaksbfit as the glory of heaven, that we shall see 20ipd St Paul tells us that we do now see him, though more dimly and obscurely. St. John tells us, that the glory of heaven consists not only in seeing God, but in being made like unto him: St. Paul, that the sight of the glory of God doth now transforms and make us like unto him, for we are changed into the same image from glory to glory Dive. from one degree of grace to another. o hrom di

I

-Thus D ́have shewn you how these impressions and habits do · accompany salvation, both as they are Preparations unto it and Parts of it only wi 496 5 of el

(2)And now, though this be most true, in the general, concerning all the graces of God's Spirit, that they do thus naturally and necessarily accompany salvation; yet give me leave to single out some few of the more choice and eminent ones, upon which the Scripture seems to seta peculiar remark. For, though all the graces of the Holy Ghost are alike necessary to salvation, yet they are not alike eminent and conspicuous.qued

Now with, divers of these, that most excellent Sermon of our Saviour upon the Mount will furnish us.

Therefore it id ni Juulot 32 moisshoq bus or

[1] Inward oHeart-Holiness is a gracious disposition of soul, that doth accompany salvation.)30 31 Lɔ sk

So we have it, Mat. v.os.Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Now as all holiness signifies nothing else, but a separation from profane uses, to the service of God; so this holiness of the heart is the alienation and separation of it from sin, to the service of God. The Apostle, 2 Cor. vii. 1. distinguisheth sins into two sorts: there are filthinesses of the flesh; and such are those wherein the body is engaged; as

drunkenness, riot, uncleanness, murder, oaths, and blasphemies, &c. which require the service of the body as the instrument to perpetrate them and there are other filthinesses of the spirit; and those are more refined and invisible, though not less pernicious and damnable sins; and such are wicked thoughts, evil concupiscences and desires, atheism, unbelief, hyprocrisy, and the like the former sort are the sins of lewd and profligate wretches; these latter are the sins, in which formal hypocrites, and all those who are devoid of the power and life of true godliness, may indulge themselves, though they carry a fair shew and outside to the world. Now examine yourselves: of which kind is your holiness and sanctity? Do not content yourselves that you are pure and clean from the gross and scandalous acts of sin? that you are no drunkards, nor swearers, nor adulterers, nor murderers, nor thieves, nor extortioners? it were to be wished that more could say, they have washed their hands in innocency from these wickednesses. But do you rest in this only and look no farther, than that your lives and outward demeanour be fair and inoffensive; when, all the while, these and many other swarms of lusts crowd thick about your heart, and cluster there? Though thou never embrewedst thy hands in the blood of thy brother; yet dost thou harbour any malicious and revengeful thoughts against him? dost thou please and delight thyself in wishing and fancying his ruin, and rejoicest in his sufferings? Though thou never spokest a blasphemous word against God and and his truth; yet is it the employment of thy mind, to rend God's attributes from him, and to tear them off one by one, sometimes denying his wisdom, sometimes his power, sometimes his goodness, sometimes his providence, and sometimes, with the fool, denying the very being and essence of God itself? is this the sport and recreation of thy mind, thus, speculatively to assassinate the Great God? Darest thou prostitute thy soul to the embraces of any unclean and impure thoughts, and, stuprate the images of thine own fancy? Is thy heart vain, worldly, sensual; or dost thou suffer unclean, covetous, and revengeful thoughts to estuate there without controul? Believe it, though thy life were as clear and spotless as an angel's, yet this impurity and filthiness of thy heart will keep thee for ever from the beatifical vision of God: for that God, who sees all the inward and lurking filthiness of thy heart as apparently as if every thought and motion of thy soul were

written on thy forehead, hath sentenced thee that thou shalt never see him. It may be, thou darest not outwardly commit. those wickednesses, which thy heart prompts thee to, for fear of punishment or shame; but God hath no interest at all in these restraints: if thou fearedst him, thou wouldst no more harbour any abomination in thy heart, than thou wouldst visibly act it in thy life; for God sees every flushing of thy thoughts and of thy desires, as clearly as he doth the most public and conspicuous actions of thy life: it is not therefore for his sake, that thou art not notoriously and infamously wicked; but for thine own: thou compoundest between thy reputation and the temptation to satisfy thy credit, thou darest 'not commit the sin; and yet, to satisfy the Devil, thou wilt inwardly harbour and cherish it: and, believe it, he is well enough content that thou shouldst thus compromise; knowing, that such repercussives will never cure the disease, but only drive it to the heart; and so that he may rule that, he will let thy credit or safety rule thy life. But, a true Christian rests not contented with this external sanctification; that he hath beaten sin within its trenches; that he lays a close siege to it, and keeps it from foraging abroad: but he especially labours with his heart; knowing, that it is but in vain to lade out the streams, unless he can withal dry up the fountain: and, if he sees but the least stirring of any evil thought, the least breathing of any sinful desire, he presently endeavours to suppress it; knowing, that if he can but keep his heart pure, his life will be pure by 'consequence. And this Inward Purity is that, which is an infallible concomitant of salvation. Indeed, he cannot altogether keep himself from the 'mutinies and rebellions of his corrupt part: his thoughts and his affections will sometimes make an insurrection, and buzz strange things to him; and sometimes also the Devil casts in a fiery dart, some black and hideous suggestion, and that Old Serpent seems audibly to hiss within him: but, then, first, it is the grief and anguish of his soul when it is thus within him; he could even shake off his very being, and run away from himself, to be freed from them: and, secondly, he labours to the very utmost of his power to quell these rebellious motions; he commands his thoughts never again to propose such matters to him,. turns away in indignation from hearkening to their overtures; and, as other commanders use to do with seditious and mutinous armies, presently busies them about other work and employ

ment. Whereas, on the contrary, a wicked man diverts and recreates himself with all the filthy dalliances of his impure thoughts, sets up a theatre in his imagination, brings forth every lust to act its part, sports himself with them: and, when he hath done, applauds himself in the secrecy of his invention; that he can be a spectator, where none can behold him; and enjoy both his own lusts and other men's esteem, without ever considering that the all-seeing eye of God is upon him, of that God, who will draw the curtain, detect the scene, and openly expose all his secret sins to everlasting shame and reproach.

That is the First thing.

[2] Poverty of Spirit is another grace, which accompanies salvation,

Mat. v. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And what a rich portion, what a glorious inheritance is this, for those, who are thus poor! There is, indeed, a spiritual poverty, which is far from having a blessing annexed to it such was that of the Church of Laodicea, Rev. iii. 17. And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: this spiritual poverty is always joined with ignorance and presumption; and those, who are most indigent and necessitous, usually flatter themselves with proud conceits of their fulness and abundance. But this blessed poverty of spirit is that grace, whereby a man is convinced of his wants, and mourns under them; sees his own emptiness and vileness, and loaths himself for it; and, therefore, continually renounceth himself in all that is really virtuous and commendable in him, and daily prays that his own righteousness may not damn him: he maintains the performance, but abjures the merit of good works: he trusts not to his duties, but dares not neglect them: he knows they are but as broken reeds; and that, therefore, though he must walk with them in his hand to point him out the way unto heaven, yet he must not lean upon them: he is continually in want, and still complaining and craving: he sees nothing in himself but wants; want of wisdom, want of grace, want of holiness, want of comfort and assurance: ever since the strong man was cast out and his goods spoiled, he hath lived in great want and necessity; and therefore is a most constant and importunate beggar at the Throne of Grace for supply; and makes out to the fulness and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ, as his only relief; and whatsoever he finds defective in himself, fetcheth it home by an appropriating faith from him. This poverty of spirit

is a most excellent grace, which puts the crown wholly upon God's mercy; ascribing nothing to itself, but its own failings: and is such a sweet, ingenuous, and obliging grace, that it wins favour in the sight of God; and he will certainly crown it, at the last, with glory: this, above all others, hath learnt the true art of ingratiating itself with God; while those, who are spiritually proud and haughty and self-confident, are like your great mountains, high but barren; they are swollen up with their own arrogance, but are usually empty of every thing but only noise and tumour.

[3] A Mourning Frame of Spirit is another disposition, which accompanies salvation.

Mat. v. 4. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted: a holy mourning, for our own sins, and for the sins of others. 1st. For our own sins.

And this is one great part of repentance; without which, no remission can be granted, and therefore no salvation be obtained. It is true, repentance is no satisfaction to the justice of God: we cannot weep ourselves out of debt: were our heads fountains of tears, and could our eyes pour out rivers of water, yet all these could not wash away the guilt or stain of any the least sin, that ever we committed. But yet, without this, the satisfaction, which Christ Jesus hath made, can never be applied to us for his blood comes flowing to us, only upon a stream of our own tears and that soul, which can thus melt down before the Lord in a holy, ingenuous mourning, and godly sorrow, may, with comfortable evidence conclude, that, as he hath bathed himself in his own tears, so God hath sprinkled him with the blood of Christ, which alone can take away sin. And,

2dly. A spirit of mourning for the sins of others; the sins of the times and places, in which we live.

For, as our own sins lie upon us, till we humble our souls before God: so the guilt of other men's sins will likewise be imputed unto us, and the wrath which is due to them may fall upon us; unless we lament them before God, and testify, by our sorrow for them, that we gave not our consent to them. This is another gracious impression, which accompanies sal

vation.

[4] Another is a Meek and a Patient Spirit.

Matth. v. 5. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth: where the promise, I suppose, doth not only refer to temporal blessings, though they only are expressed; but is