Owning of his Godhead, and to the Obeying of his Will. Would our Modern Arians be convinced of the Truth of this Doctrine, viz: That they are thofe very Angels who were ejected Heaven for the very fame Opinion they now hold and maintain, they would fee their Error, return to their God, and own and acknowledge his Godhead and Supremacy over them. Then would that Herefy want Profeffors, yea, even a Name among Men, and all would join in that excellent Doxology, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoft. Thus would Humility abound,

I could easily demonftrate how the Belief of this Hypothefis would tend to the Increase of all Chriftian Virtues, how it might forward the Work of our Salvation, and introduce the jufteft Ideas and moft worthy Apprehenfions of the Almighty Creator of all Things: But I am perfuaded, that he who receives the Doctrine contained in what has been faid, will have no Occafion to have them pointed out to him.. Therefore we proceed immediately to our Third General Head, namely,

III. To fhew for whom the Manfions fpoken of in our Text are prepared.

And here first, They are prepared for all and every one of those who fell in the grand Apoftacy and Rebellion in Heaven. For, fays St. Peter, God is no respecter of Perfons. Therefore they are prepared, by our Saviour, for all the lapfed Angels without Exception. By which I mean, that it is equally the Right, and confequently equally in the Power of every apoftate Angel to fit and prepare himself for his Admittance into the Manfions of Blifs.

But

But fecondly, No one will be admitted into thefe Manfions, but he who is come to that degree of Perfection, Purification, and Sanctification, as is required to render him a Companion for those who inhabit those bleffed Regions.

St. Paul fays, As the Stars excell one another in Glory, fo alfo fhall the Refurrection of the Dead be. By which Commentators generally underftand the Resurrection of our Bodies in the last Day. But I judge, the Apoftle means, that the Angels, or Souls of Men, the very apoftate Angels themselves, do, in their Return to Heaven, differ in Perfection from one another, as the Stars in the Firmament do. Confequently, thefe Worlds being many, thefe returning apoftate Angels are admitted into Manfions of various Degrees of Perfection, Purity, and Sublimity, according to their feveral different Attainments in Glory.

Thirdly, Hence it is plain, that he who strives to gain the greatest Knowledge in heavenly Things, who endeavours to purify himself from all the Corruptions and Vanities of this Hell, and who endeavours to walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith he is called, is the very Perfon for whom these Manfions are prepared.

Therefore let us ftrive to make our Calling and Election fure; and let the Confideration of our being in this World, i. e. this inferior Place to the Heaven, this Hell, fubject to divers Temptations from the Influence of the Devil, the Prince of Darkness, under whofe Power. we more immediately were before Chrift defcended from his Father's Houfe,ftir us up to the Attainment of thofe general Principles which are contained in the Gospel. How ought we to strive and wish to be holy, that

Our

our Faults, our great Offence, may be blotted out by Repentance and Amendment; that we may be wholly refigned to his Will, and ready, at whatsoever time he fhall appoint, to offer up even our Lives for his Name, that we may be perfectly redeemed out of this Region of Darkness into the Prefence and Company of our bleffed Redeemer. This Ufe fhould we make of the foregoing Doctrine to excite ourfelves to Humility, Meeknefs, Refignation, and a contented Spirit, always remembring, that, without thefe, we fhall not be able to travel through this Vale of Tears, that is, this Place of Weeping and Wailing and Gnafhing of Teeth. Our Meeknefs and Humility will guard us against the Iniquity of this Hell, while our Refignation and Contentednefs will fecure us in the quiet Enjoyment of our own Peace.

I have now faid what was written fome Years ago, and what was ordered to be spoke, at this time, by my honoured Mother Mrs. Jane Ilive, who was the fecond Daughter of Thomas and Elianor James. Her Father, Thomas James, gave a confiderable Number of Books to the Library in Sion-College, for the Ufe of the London-Clergy; all which Books are gratefully acknowledged, by order of the Governors, by the Reverend Mr. Reading, their Library Keeper, in his Catalogue of Sion-Library, by the initial Letters of her Father's Name. She was defcended, by her Father's Side, from Doctor Thomas James, of Oxford, who was the firft Man that collected the Bodleian Library,, and his Memory is preferved among that learned Body as their firft Librarian. She was born in the Year 1689, and died in the Year 1733, in the fixtythird Year of her Age, her grand Climacte

rick.

rick. She received her firft Rudiments or Notions in Chriftianity from the learned and pious. Bishop Beveridge. She was an Example for Induftry; a dutiful Child; a loving Wife, and a tender Mother. She was a Woman of that confummate Chastity, that no one can fay, they ever heard an immodeft or indecent Expreffion drop from her Lips; the Swearer and the Liar The abominated, and reproved the Offenders very fharply.

As to her Opinions in Theology they were fome of them fingular. Of late Years fhe could not be of the Opinion of those who thought the felf-fame Body would be raised again in the Resurrection of the laft Day; for fhe obferved, How can Flesh and Blood inherit the Kingdom of Heaven? How can that which is material become immaterial? Or, how can that which is, by Nature, corruptible beome incorruptible: yet fhe firmly believed the Refurrection of the Dead'; and argued, that the Souls of Men were the Dead, i. e. thofe dead in Trefpaffes and Sin; that the Refurrection 'would be of the Spirits, or lapfed Angels, who now actuate the Bodies of Men; or to make ufe of her own Words, The Refurrec

tion is the rifing again to that Place or Station from whence there had been a Defection.' And I not being of the Opinion, that the Body will be taken into Heaven, or raifed after Death, (m) was willing to know her Sentiments concerning this Topic, therefore, a few Days before her deceafe, I asked her, Whether fhe thought

(m) I fhall not fay any thing more concerning this Doctrine here, because I have made fome Remarks on Dr. Felton's Sermons, concerning the Refurrection of the fame Body, which I defign for the Prefs.

thought the Body would be raised in the Refurrection of the laft Day? To which fhe replied, I have not had, nor do I now fee any Reason to believe that the Body should be raised at the laft Day; adding, that the Body is the Prison of the Soul, its Clog, and wished to be delivered from it, that he might be admitted into the heavenly Masions, where there are no Bodies, for there will be no Weeping, Wailing, nor Gnabing of Teeth. I then remembered my Mother of the many Hours we used to fpend in contemplating and difcourfing on the Rebellion of the Angels, their Expulfion, and their taking Flesh, defiring to know, whether thefe Opinions were repented of by her. She faid, I thank God, that I have lived to imbibe those Ideas; I would not have died without the Knowledge thereof; I love God more perfectly fince; I laboured before under feveral Donbts and Scruples, all which I am now intirely free from. I am verily perfuaded, that I was ejected Heaven for my Apoftacy and Rebellion against God in that happy Place, and am now punished for that my Sin. O cleafe thou me from my fecret Fanlts, forgive me that great Offence. She then declared to me, thofe Opinions and Truths afforded her the greatest Comfort and a moft entire Satisfaction in this her laft Illness. I then asked her, Whether the thought God afflicted her at this Time in order to take her from amongst us? She faid, No, my Sickness is the Decay of the Particles of Earth of which my Body is compofed, and flows from natural Causes, and as for the Time and Moment when I fhall expire, it will be when Nature can no longer fubfift. Then, faid I, the Apoftle did not mean, by thofe Words of his, There is a Time appointed

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for