ly, that there are fome degrees of Good that we are not obliged to. 8. It is farther obfervable, that in Scripture there is mention made of a threefold Will of God, Rom. 12. 2. τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ δ' άρεσον καὶ τέλειον, That Will which is good, that which is well-pleafing, and that which is perfect. The firft of thefe denotes abfolute Duty, the two last the various degrees of Perfection and Heroic Excellence. Thus for St. Paul to Preach the Gofpel to the Corinthians, was an Act of ftrict Duty which he could not leave undone, without incurring that Woe which he annexes to the omiffion of it, 1 Cor. 9. 16. τίδε αδαπάνως κηρύσσειν προαιρέσεως φιλοτιμία, καὶ δια τέτο καύχημα έξι. But to preach without charging them was an Inftance of Generosity, and in that refpect there was room for boafting, as Dr Hammond quotes from Theophylact. Thus again, for a Fem to allot the tenth part of his Revenue every third year toward the Relief of the Poor, was an act of express Duty; and in doing of that, he would but fatisfie the Obligation of the Law: But now if in his charitable Contributions he should exceed that proportion; according to the degrees of the excefs, fo would the degrees of his Perfection be. Thus again in the matter of Devotion, Daily Prayer is generally concluded to be a Duty; and by fome Criticks, that it be twice perform'd, in proportion to the Returns of the Jewish Sacrifices, Morning and Evening: But now if a more generously difpofed Christian should add a third time, or out of abundance of Zeal fhould come up to the Pfalmift's refolution of (Seven times a day will I praife thee) this will be a freewill Offering, well pleafing and of sweet favour, but not Commanded. 9. From thefe and many other Inftances, which, if neceffary, I could eafily produce, it plainly appears that Religion does not confift in an indivifible point, but has a Latitude, and is capable of more and lefs; and confequently, there is room for voluntary Oblations, and Acts of Heroic Piety, as feems fufficiently plain from the whole 04 whole State of St. Paul's Determination as to the Lawfulness of Marriage, and the Preference of a Single Life before it as a State of greater Excellence and Perfecti on. 10. If it be objected here, That what is fuppofed to be thus Heroically perform'd, is inclufively enjoin'd by virtue of those comprehenfive words, (Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, with all thy Soul, &c.) To this I Anfwer, That whether by the Love of the Text we understand a fincere Love of God, in oppofition to that which is Falfe and Hypocritical, or an intire Love of God in oppofition to that which is Partial and Divided, ftill there will be a Latitude in this Precept of loving God, as well as in other Inftances of Religion; it being very poffible for two Perfons to love God fincerely, and with their whole Soul, and yet in different Meafures (which is obferv'd even among the Angels, the Seraphins having their Name from their excefs of Love ;) nay, for the fame Perfon always to love God fincerely, or intirely, and yet at fome times to exceed himfelf; and with his Saviour (who to be fure never fail'd of neceffary Duty) to pray yet more carreftly. 11. There is another Objection yet behind, which I think my felf concern'd to Anfwer, as well in my own Defence, as that of my Argument. Some perhaps may be fo weak to imagine, that by afferting fuch a Thing as Heroic Piety, and that a Chriftian may do more than he is commanded, I too much favour the Doctrin of Supererogation. But I confider, for a Man to do more than he is commanded, is an ambiguous expreffion, and may denote either that he can perform the whole Law of God and more, or that, tho' he fail of his Duty in many Inftances, and confequently with the reft of Mankind, w concluded under fin, Yet in fome others he may exceed it, by preffing forward to fome degrees of Excellency he is not obliged to. I do not Affert the former of these, but the later, that there are certain degrees in Religion, which we are not obliged to under Pain of Sin; and con confequently, that he who arrives fo far, does (according to the later notion of the Phrafe) do more than he is Commanded. 12. Having in the foregoing Periods ftated the Notion of Heroic Piety, and fhewn the reasonableness of the Thing, I proceed now to my third and last undertaking, which was to offer some Perfwafives to recommend the Practice of it. First then, I confider that Religion is the Perfection of a Man, the Improvement and Accomplishment of that Part of him wherein he refembles his Maker, the Purfuance of his best and laft End, and confequently his Happiness. And will a Man fet Bounds to his Happiness? Will he be no more Happy than he is Commanded, no more than what will juft ferve to fecure him from a miferable Eternity? Is not Happiness defi rable for it felf, as well as for the avoiding of .Mifery? Why then do we deal with it as with dangerous Phyfic, weighing it by Grains and Scruples, and nice Proportions? Why do we drink fo moderately of the River of Paradife, fo fparingly of the Well of Life? Are we afraid of making too nigh Advances to the State of Angels, of becoming too like God, of antedating Heaven? Are we afraid our Happiness will flow in too thick upon us, that we shall not bear up against the Tide, but fink under the too powerful Enjoyment? Hereafter indeed, when we are bleft with the Beatific Vifion, and the Glories of the Divine Brightnefs fhall flash too ftrong upon our Souls, fo that our Happiness begins to be in danger of being leffen'd by its greatness; We may then, with the Angels that attend the Throne, veil our Faces, and divert fome of the too exuberant Bleffednefs: But now in this Region, we are far enough from being under the Line; there is no danger of fuch Extremity, but rather the contrary; and therefore it would be now most advisable for us to be as Happy, and to that End, as Religions as we can. 13. Secondly, I confider, That fince God, out of the abundance of his overflowing and communicative Good ness, nefs, was pleas'd to create and defign Man for the best of Ends, the fruition of himself in endless Happiness; and fince he has prefcribed no other Conditions for the Attainment of this Happiness, but that we would live happily here in this State of Probation, having made nothing our Duty but what would have been belt for us to do whether he had Commanded it or no ; and has thereby declared, that he is fo far only pleas'd with our Services to him, as they are Beneficial to our felves; this must needs be a most endearing Engagement to one that has the leaft fpark of Generofity or Ingenuity, to do fomething for the fake of fo good a God, beyond the Measures of Neceffity, and the Regards of his main and final Intereft. This is the only Tribute of Gratitude we are capable of paying God, for giving us fuch good, fuch reasonable and righteous Laws. Had the Conditi ons of our Eternal Welfare been never fo hard, arbitrary, and contradictory to our prefent Happinefs, yet mére Intereft would engage us to perform neceffery Duty; and fhall we do no more out of a Principle of Love to our excellent Lawgiver, for making our prefent Happinefs the Condition of our future? Shall the Love of God conftrain us to do no more than what we would do merely for the Love of our felves? Shall we fint our Performances to him, who fets no Measures to his Love of us? Can our Generofity be ever more feafonably employ'd, than in endeavouring.to pleafe him in extraordinary Meafures, whofe Picafure is to fee us Happy, even while we please him? For fo is the Will of the wife and good Governour of the World, that in ferving him we fhould ferve our felves; and like Adam in his dreffing and cultivation of Paradife, at the fame time discharge the Employment which God fets us about, and confult our own Convenience: So that it fares with us in our Religious Exercifes, as with the Votary that facrifices at the Altar, who all the while he pleafes and ferves his God, enjoys the Perfumes of his own Incense. 14. Third 14.. Thirdly, I confider, That every Man has a restlefs Principle of Love implanted in his Nature, a certain Magnetism of Paffion, whereby he continually afpires to fomething more Excellent than himfelf, either really or apparently, with a defign and inclination to perfect his Being. This affection and difpofition of Mind all Men have, and at all times. Our other Paffions ebb and flow like the Tide, have their Seafons and Periods like intermitting Fevers. But this of Love, is as constant as our Radical Heat, as infeparable as Thought, as even and equal as the Motions of Time. For no Man does or can, defire to be happy more at one time than at another; because he defires it always in the highest degree poffible. 'Tis true, his Love, as to particular Objects, may increase or decreafe, according to the various Apprehenfions he has of their Excellencies; but then, like Motion in the Univerfe, what it lofes in one part, it gains in another; fo that in the whole it remains always alike, and the fame. Now this Amorous Principle, which every Man receives with his Soul, and which is breath'd into him with the Breath of Life, muft neceffarily have an Object about which it may exercise it felf, there being no fuch thing in Love (if in Nature) as an Element of Self-fufficient Fire. For tho' we may eafily and truly frame an abstract Notion of Love or Defire in general, yet if we respect its real Existence, we fhall as foon find First Matter without Form, as Love without a particular Object. And, as 'tis neceffary to the very Being of Love that it have an Object, fo is it to our Content and Happiness, that it be a proportionate and fatisfying one; for other wife, that Paffion which was intended as an inftrument of Happiness, will prove an affliction. and torment to us. Now there is but one fuch Object to be found, and that is God. In the Application of our Paífions to other Things, the Advice of the Poet is exceed ing neceffary, Quicquid amas cupias placuiffe nimis. Martial. That |