YET this is as good an Argument, as to fay, that all Men are not call'd to the fame State of Goodness, or Perfection, because they are admitted to different Rewards in the other Life.

FOR it is as right Reafoning, to fay, God rewards frail and imperfect Men, therefore they were call'd to no higher Perfection; as to say that because God rewards different Degrees of Goodness, therefore Men are not call'd to one and the fame Goodness.

FOR as God could reward none, unlefs he would reward fuch as had Failings, fo their Difference in their Failings may make them Objects of his different Mercy and Rewards, though the Rule from which they fail'd, was common to them all,

IT therefore plainly appears, that the different Degrees of Glory in another Life, are no more a Proof that God calls fome Perfons to different and lower States of Goodness, than others, than his pardoning Variety of Sinners is a Proof that he allow'd of those Kinds of Sin, and did not require Men to avoid them. For it is full as good an Argument to fay, God pardons fome Sinners, therefore he did not require them to avoid fuch Sins, as to fay God rewards different Degrees of Goodness,

therefore

therefore he did not call People to higher Degrees of Goodness.

So that the different Degrees of Glory in the World to come are no Objection against this Doctrine, that all Christians are called to one and the fame Piety and Perfection of Heart.

LASTLY, it may be farther objected, that although the Law of God calls all Men to the fame State of Perfection, yet if there are different Degrees of Glory given to different Degrees of Goodness, this fhews that Men may be faved, and happy, without aspiring after all that Perfection to which they were called.

IT may be answered, That this is a falfe Conclufion: For though it may be true, that People will be admitted to Happiness, and different Degrees of Happinefs, though they have not attained to all that Perfection to which they were called; yet it does not follow that any People will be faved who did not endeavour after that Perfection. For furely it is a very different Cafe, to fall fhort of our Perfection after our best Endeavours, and to stop short of it, by not endeavouring to arrive at it. The one Practice may carry Men to a high Reward in Heaven, and the other caft them with the unprofitable Servant into outer Darkness.

THERE

THERE is therefore no Foundation for People to content themselves in any lower Degrees of Goodness, as being fufficient to carry them to Heaven, though not to the highest Happiness in Heaven.

FOR confider, thou heareft there are different Degrees of Glory; that they are proportioned to different States of Goodnefs in this Life, thou wilt therefore content thy felf with a lower Degree of Goodness, being content to be of the loweft Order in Heaven. Thou wilt have only fo much Piety as will fave thee.

BUT confider how vainly thou reafoneft; for though God giveth different Rewards, it is not in the Power of Man to take them of himself. It is not for any one to fay I will practice fo much Goodnefs, and fo take fuch a Reward. God feeth different Abilities and Frailties in Men, which may move his Goodness to be merciful to their different Improvements in Virtue: I grant thee that there may be a lower State of Piety which in fome Perfons may be accepted by God.

BUT confider, that though there is such a State of Piety that may be accepted, yet that it cannot be chofen, it ceases to be that State as foon as thou chuseft it.

GOD may be merciful to a low Eftate of Piety, by reafon of fome pitiable Circumftan

cumstances that may attend it; but as foon as thou chufeft fuch an Estate of Piety, it lofes those pitiable Circumstances, and inftead of a low State of Piety, is changed into a high State of Impiety.

So that though there are meaner Improvements in Virtue, which may make fome Perfons accepted by God, yet this is no Ground for Content or Satisfaction in such a State; because it ceafes to be fuch a State, and is quite another thing, for being chosen and fatisfy'd with.

IT appears therefore from these Confiderations, that notwithstanding God may accept of different Degrees of Goodnefs, and reward them with different Degrees of Glory in another Life, yet that all Chriftians are called to one and the fame Perfection, and equally obliged to labour after it.

THUS much may fuffice to give the Reader a general Notion of Perfection, and the Neceffity of endeavouring af

ter it.

WHAT it is, and what holy Tempers it requires, will, I hope, be found fufficiently explained in the following Chap

ters.

CHA P. I.

The Nature and Defign of Chritianity, that its Jole End is to deliver us from the Mifery and Disorder of this prefent State, and raife us to a blissful Enjoyment of the Divine Nature.

HE Wisdom of Mankind has for feveral Ages of the World been enquiring into the Nature of Man, and the Nature of the World in which he is placed.

THE Wants and Miferies of human Nature, and the Vanity of worldly Enjoyments, has made it difficult for the wifeft Men to tell what human Happiness was, or wherein it confifted.

IT has pleased the infinite Goodness of God, to fatisfy all our Wants and Enquiries by a Revelation made to the World by his Son Jesus Christ.