Imatges de pàgina
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demn and punish us for the Neglect: Notwithstanding the wicked Artifices that we may ufe, to avoid the Lashes and Upbraidings of our Minds, we fhall frequently feel them whether we will or no. When we are striving to divert ourselves by drinking, revelling, and the like, Thefe will eyer and anon break in upon us; fpoil our forced Mirth; and make our Hearts forrowful even in the midst of Laughter: Thus we fhall be depraved of the Flappiness of Life, and in fome fort tortur'd with the Mifery of the Damn'd.

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Farthermore, the Happinefs of any Being confifting in fuch a State as doth exalt it to the utmost Perfection of which it is capable according to its Rank and Kind; the Happiness of Man, muft therefore confift in fuch a State as is moft agreeable to Reason, as may procure the Favour of Heaven, and fill him with a well-grounded Hope of Bleffedness in another World: But now, as will appear by and by, we cannot get into fuch a State as this, unlels we do our Duty, as well as know it; and confequently unless we do our Duty as well as know it, we cannot get into the Poffeffion of Happiness. Thus we may fee, that the Practice of our Duty is abfolutely neceffary to make

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us Happy here; and upon a little more Confideration, we fhall find it as neceflary to make us Happy hereafter. For our future Happiness will confift in the Enjoyment of Pleasures that are of a very refined, and fpiritual Nature: And becaufe all Perception of Pleasure is caused by the Agreement between the Objects poffeffed, and the Faculties poffeffing; therefore where this Agreement is wanting, 'tis impoffible for any Pleasure to be perceived or enjoyed. But now if we live in the Neglect of our known Duty, this Agreement will be wanting between our Facul ties, and thofe Objects from which our future Pleafures muft flow; and confe quently, from the Poffeffion of thofe Objects, no Pleafures can flow to us. The Dregs of original Sin, with which the Nature of all Men is tainted, produce in us great Averfions from that which is Good; and ftrong Propenfions to that which is Evil: So that the Flesh lufteth against the Spirit; we do not naturally purfue refined, and fpiritual Delights, but are bent upon those which are grofs, and carnal. The Practice of our Duty will go a great Way towards curing this Depravation, and purging out this Corruption: It will very much exalt and purify our Natures;

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reftore to us a good Degree of that ori ginal Righteousness with which Man was at first created; and thereby give us a Relifh of thofe excellent and fpiritual Objects from which we fhall receive that elevated Satisfaction Almighty God defigned us for.

Hence I take it to be a Notion very confonant to Reason, that the Duties we are enjoyned to practise, were intended as Means to Fit and Prepare us for eternal Happiness, as well as to be the Conditions of it. For whereas by the Practice of thofe Duties, we may and shall be capable of enjoying the Pleafures of.the World to come; without the Practice of them, our natural Corruption will grow upon us more and more; we shall be chained closer and closer to fenfual Gratifications; we fhall have greater and greater Averfions from thofe which are more refined, and spiritual; and for that Reason be less and lefs capable of being Happy hereafter; becaufe 'tis in fuch Gratifications, that our future Happiness will confift.

-If then, thofe People, who live and die in a willful Difobedience to the known Laws of the Golpel, were caught up to the Third Heaven; and made Inhabitants

of the City of the Living God; They could not reap any Advantage from the glorious Privileges belonging to that Place. The Sight of God would amaze and terrify, but not delight them: The Company of Angels, and juft Men made perfect, would upbraid their Turpitude, and Impurity, but not adminifter to them the leaft Comfort: And the Employments of the Bleffed, would be their Trouble and Grief, instead of their Joy and Satisfaction. Thefe Things being quiet contrary to fuch Men's Inclinations, would change Heaven it felf, into a Hell, and make them exceffively miferable, even in the Manfions of Blifs.

And yet into thofe Manfions fuch Per fons fhall never enter: As they are under an Incapacity of being Happy; and under a Neceffity of being Miferable in them: So by the exprefs and unchangeable Declarations of God, they are Everlaftingly fhut out of them. Nothing is revealed in the Scriptures more clearly, than that without Holiness, no Man shall fee the Lord: And whofoever thinks he fhall be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven, without doing the Will of God, (let his Knowledge of it be ever so perfect) is

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Heb. xii. 14. -

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certainly under a most dangerous Mistake, and Delufion. Such a Knowledge of GOD, as is not accompanied with Obedience to him, is not to be reckoned a true Knowledge of him. For as St. John fpeaks in his 1 Epif. ii. 3, 4. Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments. He that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a Liar, and the Truth is not in him. And ́ how miferably deceived, thofe will find themselves at the Laft Day, who proceed no farther than to a naked Profeffion, or Knowledge of the Gofpel; we may learn from our Bleffed Saviour, in Mat. vii. 21, 22, 23. Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: But be that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will fay to me in that Day, Lord, Lord, have we not Prophefied in thy Name? and in thy Name bave cast out Devils? and in thy Name have done many wonderful Works? And then I will profefs unto them, I never knew you: Depart from Me, ye that work Iniquity. Nay fo far is he from giving us any Encouragement to think, that the Knowledge of our Duty will be conducive to our Happiness without the Practice of it, that

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