been in a manner anticipated: all the characters of illuminating truths and illuminating knowledge being fuch as fufficiently declare the bleffed effects of true illumination. I will therefore be very short on this head; and only just mention two advantages of illumination. As the use of light is efpecially twofold, to delight and guide us; fo do we reap two benefits from illumination.

1. The first and most immediate one is, that it fets the whole man, and the whole life right; that it fixes our affections on their proper and natural object, and directs all our actions to their true end. I do not mean, that the understanding constantly and neceffarily influences and determines the will. Experience tells us, that we have a fatal li berty that our affections are too often independant of our reafon; that we fin against the dictates of confcience; that we purfue falfe pleasure, and a false intereft, in oppofition to the true, and in plain oppofition to our judgment too; at leaft to a Jedate and calm one. And the reafon of all this is, because we consist of two different and repugnant principles, a body and a foul: and are follicited by two different worlds, a temporal and an eternal one. But all this notwithstanding, 'tis certain that illumination in the mind has a mighty influence upon us: for it is continually exciting in us wife defires and excellent purposes: 'Tis always

N 3

alluring

1

alluring and inviting us towards our foveraign good, and reftraining and deterring us from fin and death: it alarms, difquiets, difturbs, and perfecutes us as oiten as we err and wander from the path of life. In one word, the great work of illumination is, to be always reprefenting the beauties and pleasures, and the beatitude and glory of virtue; and remonftrating the evils and difhonours, the deformities and dangers of vice fo that a man will never be at reft, who has this light within him, till it be either extinguished or obeyed,

2. This light within us, if it be fol lowed and complied with, not muddied and difturbed; if it be not quenched and extinguished by wilful fin, or unpardonable ofcitancy and remifnefs; if, in a word, its influence be not interrupted, difperfes all our fears as well as errors, creates an unfpeakable tranquillity in the foul, fpreads over us a calm and glorious sky, and makes every thing in us and about us look gay, and verdant, and beautiful. The diffipation of Pagan darkness, and all participation or refemblances of it; deliverance from a state of bondage and wrath, the peace of God, the love of Jefus, the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, the immortality of the foul, the refurrection of the body, the perfection and blessednefs of eternity. Good God! what furprizing, what ravishing themes are thefe for the

thoughts

thoughts of an enlightened foul to dwell upon! bieffed and happy is he who enjoys this pleafure upon earth. And that we may, I am now to discourse,

§. 2. Of the attainment of illumination. Now whatever advice can relate to this, may be reduced under two heads :

1. What qualifications do render man capable of illumination.

2. What it is that one duly qualified is to do in purfuit of it.

§. 1. To begin with the qualifications rëquifite to illumination. One man is diftinguished from another feveral ways: by his eftate or fortune; by natural or acquired

dowments, and by moral difpofitions: and each of thefe may have fome, tho' a very different influence upon human Perfection. For if we inquire after only the effence and integrity of Perfection; then are there two or three moral qualifications, which are all that is required in order to this: but if we inquire after the largeness of its ftature, the Jymmetry of its features, the luftre of its complexion, and the elegance of its drefs; then may we allow fomething to be afcrib ed to fortune, to nature, and a liberal education. This is an obfervation very neceffary to be made. For tho' every man may be

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capable

capable of Perfection, that is, habitual holinefs, if it be not his own fault; yet is not every man capable of being equally perfect, because of that accidental variety which I have fuggested, and which flows from different gifts of God, which depend not on our felves. This being premifed; in order to prevent my being miftaken, I proceed and determine,

1. That illumination depends not upon a man's outward fortune. There are indeed feveral forts of knowledge, which we can never arrive at without much leifure and much expence and in order to fupport the one, and enjoy the other, it is requifite that we be mafters of a good fortune. Hence is that obfervation of the author of the Ecclefiafticus, chap. xxxviii. 24. The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leifure; and be that has little bufinefs fhall become wife. And therefore in the following verfes, he excludes the husbandman, the ftatuary, the engraver, the fmith, the potter; and all confequently whofe time and mind is taken up in the labours of their profeffion, and in making the neceffary provifion for life; these, I fay, he excludes from all pretenfions to wifdom. How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, whofe talk is of bullocks, &c. But this is not the wisdom that I am inquiring after, and which conftitutes illumation. That confifts

not

not in the laws of our earthly but heavenly country: not in arts and Sciences which relate to the body, and minister to a temporal life; but in thofe divine truths, which purify the foul, and minister to an eternal one: no, not in notional improvements of the mind, but in fpiritual and vital ones. And therefore the husbandman and the artift, the mechanick and the trader, are as capable of this fort of wisdom, as the man of office, money, or quality. There needs no wealth to render one the child of light and of the day. There is the book of nature; the book of revelation; both the books of God, both writ throughout with glorious illuminating truths: thefe lie wide open to every honeft Christian. The being and nature of God; the mediation of Jefus, and a judgment to come; the nature and neceffity of holinefs, are fully revealed, and unanfwerably proved. And tho' every honeft man be not able to discover all the arguments on which they ftand, yet may he difcover enough: and what is more, he may have an inward, vital, fenfible proof of them; he may feel the power, the charms of holiness; experiment its congruity and loveliness to the human foul; and observe a thousand demonstrations of its ferviceableness to the honour of God, and the good of mankind: he may have a full and convictive fenfe of the manifeftation of the divine Perfections in

the