the apostle means this by the phrase of " flesh SERM. " and blood," is evident beyond all doubt, from CLXXXVI. the next words, which he adds by way of explication of what he had faid, "this, I fay, bre"thren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the king"dom of GOD; neither doth corruption inherit "incorruption." That which is liable to death and corruption, is not capable of immortal glory and happiness. And therefore our nature must be made immortal; and immortality makes us like to God, and is an evident teftimony and declaration that we are the fons of GOD. We are now the children " of GOD," in refpect of our title to a future inheritance; but this is hid from the world: but at the refurrection, when we shall bear the image of his immortality, this will be an evident mark of our being "the fons of GOD." As our bleffed SAVIOUR was "mightily declared to be the Son of "GOD, by his refurrection from the dead;" fo likewife fhall his members be declared to be "the chil"dren of GOD," by that glorious change that fhall be made in them at the refurrection, when "this mortal shall put on immortality." Then we are the fons of GOD" indeed in an eminent manner, when "we can die no more."

66

And therefore it is worth our obfervation, that the fcripture gives us the title of "the children of "GOD," more especially upon this account, Luke XX. 35, 36. But they which fhall be counted

.6

worthy to obtain that world, and the refurrection "from the dead, can die no more, but are equal to "the angels, and are the children of GoD, being the children of the refurrection." And Rom. viii. 19. the refurrection is call'd, "the manifeftation

"of

SERM." of the fons of God." And ver. 21. "Our being CLXXXVI. « delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the "glorious liberty of the fons of GOD," And ver 23. it is call'd our adoption or fonfhip; “We our felves groan within ourselves, waiting for the "adoption, viz. the redemption of our bodies." This is the first thing, wherein our likenefs and refemblance to God in our future ftate of happiness shall confift, the immortality of our nature; without which we could not be capable of the blessed vifion of God, and the everlasting enjoyment of him.

II. It shall confift in the purity of our fouls. Now purity is a freedom from fin, which is the great ftain and defilement of the foul. Before we can be admitted into heaven, we must be quit of all those vicious and corrupt inclinations, of all thofe inordinate defires and paffions, which defile our fouls, and render us unlike to GOD. In this world, every good man does "mortify his earthly and corrupt affec❝tions," and in fome meafure, "bring them into "obedience and fubjection to the law of God." But ftill there are fome relicks of fin, fome spots and imperfections in the holinefs of the best mén. But upon our entrance into the other world, we fhall quite "put off the old man with the affections and

lufts thereof," we fhall be perfectly "delivered "from this body of fin and death," and together with this mortal nature part with all the remainders of fin and corruption, which cleave to this mortal Itate. For till "our earthly house of this taber"nacle be diffolved," we fhall never be wholly cleansed from the leprofy of fin. this world, we must be continually "felves from all filthinefs of flesh

While we are in

cleanfing ourand spirit, and

"perfecting

CLXXXVI.

"perfecting holiness in the fear of GOD:" but we SER M. fhall never be wholly cleanfed, we shall never be perfectly holy in this life; but in the other state, all fin and imperfection fhall be done away, and we fhall be " prefented to GOD, without spot or wrinkle, or any "fuch thing." And perfect holinefs is the image of GOD, and the very nearest refemblance of the divine nature, that creatures are capable of.

But how our fouls fhall be purified from thofe remainders of fin and dregs of corruption, which are in the best men, while they are in this world, it is not neceffary that we fhould be able perfectly to explain. It ought to be fufficient to us, that he who hath promifed it, is able to do it one way or other; only I am confident, and have great reafon to be fo, that this purification will not be wrought by the fire of purgatory. For if there be any such thing, as there is not the leaft fpark of divine revelation for it, (and how any body fhould come to know it otherwife, is not eafy to imagine) it is granted to be a material fire; and if it be fo, it is no ways fitted, either for the punishment or purgation of impure fouts. Indeed if men carried their bodies into purgatory, the fire of it might be a cruel torment and vexation to them: but how a fire fhould fcorch a fpirit, is I believe beyond the fubtilty of a schoolman to make out; much lefs is it fitted to purge and take away fin. And if the truth were known, it was never feriously intended for this purpose, todo any good to the dead, but to drain the purfes of the living, by deluding them with a vain hope of getting their friends delivered out of that imaginary torment.

But we who take our faith from the word of God, and not from the fictions of men, do believe that

the

SER M. the fouls of good men do immediately pass out of
CLXXXVI. this world into a state of happiness; and that he who

bestows this happiness upon them, does qualify
them for it, before he admits them into it. And if
we confider the matter well, we fhall find that a man
who hath truly repented of his fins, and through
the mercy of GOD in JESUS CHRIST hath obtained
of GOD the pardon and forgiveness of them, and
is firmly refolved against fin, and doth truly en-
deavour to mortify his lufts, and to lead a holy life,
and by the grace of GoD does "deny ungodliness
"and worldly lufts, and lives foberly, and righte-
"oufly, and godly in this prefent world," I fay,
we fhall find that such a man is not far from the
"kingdom of GOD," but very nearly qualified and
difpofed for it, and that there hardly wants any thing
to make fuch a man perfectly good, but only to re-
move out of his way thofe obftacles and impediments
to virtue, and to free him from thofe circumstances
of infirmity and temptation, which do unavoidably
encompass us in this world; fuch as are ignorance,
and the inftigations of our bodily temper to irregular
appetites and paffions, that which the apostle calls
"the law in our members warring against the law
"of our minds;" the neceffities of this life, the
temptations of the devil and of bad company, and
the like; all which do appertain to this ftate, and
which we shall be quit of, fo foon as we leave this
world, and put off these frail and mortal bodies:
and when these are removed, we are free from the
bondage of fin, and have nothing to hinder and di-
vert that strong bent and inclination of mind, which
is in every good man, to do the will of GOD. So
that our very tranflation into another ftate does of it

felf

CLXXXVI.

felf affert us into this "glorious liberty of the fons SERM.
"of GOD." And if befides this any thing more
be neceffary to cleanse us from fin, and perfect the
holiness and purity of our souls, we need not be so-
licitous about the way and manner of it, but may
reft confident, that " he who hath begun a good
"work in us, will perfect it in the day of CHRIST;"
and that what is wanting in our love to GoD, or
charity to men, in goodness, and meekness, and pu-
rity, or any grace or virtue whatsoever, fhall then be
added to them, that "fo an entrance may be mini-
"ftred to us abundantly into the everlasting king-
"dom of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS
"CHRIST. This we know, that when we shall
appear, we shall be like him;" like him in the
immortality of our nature, and in the purity of our
fouls, which are the very image of God, and the
most express character of the divine nature. The

Fourth and last thing remains, which is to fhew the neceffary connexion which is between our likeness and conformity to GoD, and our fight and enjoyment of him: "we know that we fhall be like "him, for we shall fee him as he is." Which implies that unless we be "like GOD," we are in no capacity of " the bleffed fight and enjoyment of him."

I. Likeness to GOD in the immortality of our nature, is necessary to make us capable of the happiness of the next life; which confifts in the bleffed and perpetual vifion and enjoyment of GOD. If our natures were mortal, we were incapable of seeing GOD. What was faid of Mofes, is equally true of all mankind in this state of mortality. "We cannot "fee the face of GoD and live." Nothing that is frail and dying can endure the fplendor of so great

a