ward Man of all finful Foulness and Corruption in order to render the Soul more free and expedite in its Motions: The moft pure and refined Structure of our mortal Body is a Load and Incumbrance to the Mind, but indulged Appetites and daily Converses with the Pollution of this World, encrease thofe Clogs and Preffures which our fleshly Tabernacles do of themselves fufficiently furnish out: Befides, in this our lapfed State of Frailty and Corruption there is a constant Struggle between the Law in the Mind and the Law in the Members; every Degree of Remiffnefs gives incredible Advantage on the Side of the latter, and our Souls are thereby frequently betrayed into the Defilements of actual Sin. The Discipline of Religious Aufterities confequently muft never be entirely given over, but the Repetition of them muft be as frequent and as large, as is neceffary both to produce and preserve in us a due Subordination of our vile and bafe Affections to the rational and fuperior Faculties of our Souls, and likewise an entire Subjection of those Faculties to the Purity of God's Law. And H 4 thus

thus much for the preparative Duties in order to render us fit Competitors in our Spiritual Race. The Duties neceffary for our fuccessful Running may be compriz'd under these three Articles, Zeal, Regularity and Perfeverance. The most obvious Notion of a Race is that of a warm and vigorous Contention, of labouring with all Earneftness, and preffing forwards with all Diligence and Expedition to arrive foremost at the Mark: In this our heavenly Race therefore we must pursue the Courfe of Virtue with full Purpose and hearty Endeavours of improving in every Inftance of Duty, by attaining Divine Graces, advancing in Gospel - Precepts, brightening and exalting our godly Tempers and Habits, and drawing forth our pious Difpofitions into the conftant zealous and induftrious Exercife of Holy Living. The Reason of thofe Religious Severities which made up the Acts of Preparations before mentioned, was to reftore the Soul to its natural State of Freedom, Strength and Vigour; but to what Purpose will the Soul be thus recovered, unless by an actual Exertion of every Faculty, it evi

dences

dences thofe Improvements which the Application of fuch Severities was intended to procure? Wherefore after having laid afide the Preffure of every Weight, the Pollution of every Sin, the Incumbrance of every Temptation, which in this our State of Trial and Contention do fo ftrongly and easily befet us, we must with all Labour and Patience, with all Zeal and Alacrity run the Race that is fet before us Perfection, in short, is our Mark, and prefs towards it we muft, provided we would come up to the Allufion now before us, by the quickest and most exalted Advances in the Soundness of Christian Faith and Purity of Christian Virtue.

BUT this brings me to the 2a Article of Duty I proposed to speak to under this Head, viz. Regularity.

IT is not barely Vigour that will bring us to the End propofed, but the Exercife of our Vigour in a proper Way. If a Man ftrive for Masteries, faith St. Paul, yet he is not crown'd unless he ftrive lawfully; lawfully, i. e. with an entire Conformity to the Precepts of the Gospel;

for

for to be zealous in the Exercife of fome Precepts, and remifs in the Performance of others, is an impious Neglect of Gospel-Terms, and confequently an utter Rejection of Gofpel-Reward: The Crowns of Glory we contend for are the entire Gift and Favour of Almighty God, and confequently he may annex, and we muft comply with whatever Terms He pleases for their Attainment: Our Blessed Saviour hath both by Precept and Example mark'd out to us that plain and certain Course of Holy Living which alone will lead us to Happiness; and he, who neglecting that Course, attempts to become happy in his own Way, shall by the Largeness and Certainty of the Mifery he will thereby incur, difcover, when it is too late, the impious Abfurdity of his Folly and Prefumption.

BUT, 3dly, To our Zeal and Regularity we must add Perfeverance: To set out with Vigour, but immediately to fuffer our Spirits to flag, and to relapse in a State of Inactivity, are Circumstances which will never bring us forward to the Mark our Vigour must be constant, nay, it muft

even encrease upon us; for the State of a Christian Race is a State of continual Improvement, every fresh Stage of Duty, every new Attainment of Holiness nuft refine and exalt the Faculties of the Soul, must actuate and invigorate them in all their Functions: As we proceed in the Paths of Goodnefs, we muft rife from one Degree of Spiritual Strength to another, and evidence fuch our Advances by a more brisk and vigorous, a more bright and elevated Practice of every Virtue. There is no fix'd Period of Holinefs on this fide of Eternity whitherto we can go and no farther, but the highest Pitch of Piety we have or can be fuppofed to have attained, will still qualify us for higher Improvements: Fond and arrogant are all those Presumptions of being as good as we need be; and he, that under the Conceit of fuch Notions, neglects farther Advances in Gospel-Righteousness, will find his Neglect attended with the entire Lofs of his Eternal Reward. Nor is it lefs dangerous to be discouraged from purfuing that Courfe of Virtue, wherein we are engag'd, through the Difficulty and Uneafinefs